Joint Statement on the State Visit of Prime Minister of Thailand
April 05, 2011
1. H.E. Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Prime Minister of Thailand paid a State visit to India during 4-5 April 2011 at the invitation of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India. The Prime Minister of Thailand was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister of Industry, Deputy Minister of Commerce, the President of the Thai Trade Representative Office and an official delegation.
2. During the visit, the Prime Minister of Thailand held bilateral talks with Dr. Manmohan Singh who also hosted a banquet in honour of the visiting dignitary. The Thai Prime Minister called on Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the President of India and Shri Hamid Ansari, the Vice-President of India. Shri S.M. Krishna, External Affairs Minister of India called on the Thai leader. The Thai Prime Minister attended a business luncheon hosted by the three chambers of commerce.
3. The two Prime Ministers held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues, including on the need to energize bilateral institutional mechanisms, to enhance cooperation in security matters and to upgrade the bilateral dialogue on defence matters. The two leaders stressed the significance of enhancing connectivity between the two countries and regions, and the importance of further enhancing bilateral trade and investment. In this context the two leaders noted that the next meeting of the Joint Commission will be held in 2011 during which new initiative for enhancing cooperation would be identified. Discussions were also held on cooperation between the two sides to minimize the damage caused by natural disasters such as earthquake and tsunami and to deploy effective multilateral early warning systems against them.
4. The two Prime Ministers reaffirmed the importance attached to the strengthening and enhancement of trade and economic through the bilateral and regional frameworks viz. ASEAN-India, BIMSTEC and MGC
5. At bilateral level, the two Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction at the growing trend of bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. They noted that the bilateral trade turnover had reached US$ 6.7 billion in 2010 and agreed to double the trade volume by 2014. Noting that ongoing negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between India and Thailand that would promote trade in goods and services, and investment were proceeding well, they directed the negotiators to finalize the text of the Agreement by the end of 2011. They also desired that the Second Protocol to Amend the Framework Agreement for Establishing Free Trade Area between Thailand and India founded in 2003 be signed at the earliest possible date.
6. The Leaders reiterated their commitment to realization of the Trilateral Highway connecting India to Thailand via Myanmar to enhance regional transport networks. The highway while promoting trade and people to people contacts will also help revive the shared civilizational and cultural contacts and the ancient routes of knowledge and pilgrimage.
7. The two Prime Ministers noted that India and Thailand have an on-going programme of defence cooperation, characterized by a number of exchanges between the Armed Forces of both countries, joint exercises and participation in each others' defence training programmes. In order to strengthen this cooperation further, the two leaders agreed to establish a regular High-Level Dialogue on Defence Cooperation between the Ministries of Defence of both countries in the near future, details of which would be further finalized. It was agreed that this Dialogue would regularly review all the elements of bilateral defence cooperation including in the area of defence industry and technology. The Dialogue would also include discussions on a bilateral MoU on Defence Cooperation.
8. The Prime Minister of Thailand expressed his appreciation at the successive recent actions by the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard that had led to the successful release of several Thai nationals who had been the victims of piracy in the Indian Ocean. The two leaders, noting that coordinated patrolling was already being carried out jointly by the Indian and Thai navies, agreed to further enhance this cooperation. including by increasing the duration and frequency of such patrols. Both leaders also noted the possibility of experience sharing on Coast Guard Operations.
9. The two leaders unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stressed that there could be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism. Recognizing the common threats to national security from transnational crimes, including international terrorism, the two Prime Ministers resolved to significantly enhance bilateral cooperation in combating terrorism, including in restricting transnational movement and unauthorized stay of known terrorists in each other's countries. The two leaders resolved to commit their countries to improve sharing of intelligence, the development of more effective counter-terrorism policies, enhance liaison between law enforcement agencies, provide assistance in the areas of border and immigration control to stem the flow of terrorist related material, money and people and specific measures against transnational crimes, through the already existing mechanisms between Thailand and India. Both leaders agreed that the next (6th) meeting of the Joint Working Group on Security Cooperation be held within the next six months.
10. Noting that India and Thailand are discussing Extradition Treaty, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Civil and Commercial Matters and Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons, the two sides agreed that the above mentioned agreements may be concluded at the earliest.
11. The Prime Minister of Thailand welcomed the fact that almost 800,000 Indian tourists had visited Thailand in the year 2010 and observed that visitors from India were the fastest-growing segment in the tourist inflow into Thailand.
12. The two leaders, recognizing that there was great unrealized potential for increasing the inflow of Thai tourists into India, agreed to provide greater facilitation to Thai Buddhist monks, pilgrims, students and tourists visiting India.
13. India announced support to the India Studies Centre set up at the Thammasat University in Thailand recently through visiting Chairs in areas to be selected jointly by the University and the ICCR, collaboration in India related research programmes through exchange of senior scholars for a period of one year and extending scholarships to the students from the Centre for Studies in India at the Post Graduate level and for Ph. D programmes. He expressed the hope that the India Study Centre would ignite a new interest in young Thai people in the great currents of contemporary India as well as renew interest in the ideas, values, arts and philosophy of the India of times past.
14. Recalling the long history of cultural and historical ties between the two countries, the two leaders agreed that to lift relations to a higher level, the two countries shall increase and expand existing cultural exchanges and strengthen people-to-people contacts to raise visibility and profile of the other country. The two countries will also continue to explore opportunities to promote cultural exchanges in fields such as conservation, traditional art, contemporary art, literature, film making, music, dance, theatre etc. In this context, Thailand and India mutually agreed that the Executive Programme of Cultural Exchange between the two countries should be renewed at the earliest opportunity for the year 2011-2013 in order to facilitate and promote deeper and varied cultural exchanges.”
15. The two leaders welcomed the recent progress made towards the revival of the Nalanda University, including the passage by Indian Parliament of the Nalanda University Bill and the regular meetings of the Nalanda Mentor Group, The Prime Ministers were pleased to note that the revival of the Nalanda University would rejuvenate the close cultural and religious ties that link India and Thailand since the ancient period.
16. The two leaders held discussions on regional cooperation within ASEAN. The Prime Minister of India expressed his appreciation for Thailand's role as a valued partner within ASEAN and expressed his satisfaction that Thailand was one of the largest participants at the successful India-ASEAN Business Fair that was held in New Delhi in March 2011. The two Leaders noted that the Fair has also witnessed the first meeting of India-ASEAN Trade/Commerce Ministers in India. He also appreciated the visit of Foreign Minister of Thailand to deliver the key note address at the recently held Delhi Dialogue – III Conference focusing on India-ASEAN Engagement. The two leaders recalled the Action Plan for ASEAN-India Partnership 2010-15 that was adopted in Hanoi in November 2010 and reiterated their resolve to further promote a multi-faceted India-ASEAN relationship. The two Prime Ministers looked forward to the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi in 2012.
17. At regional level, the two Prime Ministers welcomed the entry into force of the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement on Trade in Goods on 1 January 2010 and the increase in bilateral trade as a result thereof, and hoped that the Agreement would further contribute to the envisaged trade target of USD 70 billion as set by ASEAN and India. The two Prime Ministers looked forward to an early finalization of the India-ASEAN services and investment agreements currently under negotiation.
18. The two leaders also discussed regional cooperation in other formats such as BIMSTEC and Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC). Both the leaders expressed satisfaction that the last BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting held in January 2011 had agreed to locate the Permanent Secretariat of BIMSTEC in Bangladesh and looked forward to greater progress in realizing a need based programme of regional cooperation suited to the needs of the BIMSTEC member countries. The two leaders also looked forward to synergizing economic cooperation and capacity building in the Mekong region under the MGC.
19. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of Thailand expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and to the people of India for the warm welcome and hospitality that had been extended to him and to the members of his delegation on his State visit.
New Delhi
April 5, 2011
Source: http://meaindia.nic.in/mystart.php?id=530517516
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