PM to hold FTA talks with US

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will hold talks with a top US official on the proposed Thai-US Free Trade Area (FTA) Agreement in Bangkok later this week.

The prime minister is scheduled to hold the FTA talks with US Under Secretary of State Robert Zoellick when the latter pays an official visit to the Thai kingdom later this week, according to local journalists.

The issues on Thailand's access to the US pharmaceutical market and on the protection of US intellectual property rights were expected to be raised during the two leaders' discussions, said the journalists.

The proposed FTA between the US and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will also be included in the agenda.

Mr. Zoellick will also later visit other Southeast Asian countries to hold talks on the proposed US-ASEAN FTA Agreement, which he said would have some differences from the Sion-ASEAN FTA Agreement, according to the journalists.

Thailand is a member state of the 10-member ASEAN, together with Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

--TNA 2005-05-03

A few weeks ago, the U>S> held talks in Pattaya at the Royal Cliff Hotel. About 1000 Thais Came out to protest, claiming that the agreement favors the U.S. and would put Thais out ofd work. They said the agreement would allow large American companies to take over the production of Jasmine rice which is the rice that Thailand exports, which comes from Surin Province.

FOREIGN MINISTER INDICATES THE THAI-US FTA NEGOTIATIONS WILL COMPLETE IN NEXT YEAR

The Foreign Affairs Minister has indicated the Thai-US FTA negotiation will be complete within next year.

Foreign Affairs Minister Kantathee Suphamongkhon(กันตธีร์ ศุภมงคล) presented a keynote address on tightening of the Thai-US partnership, held by the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand. Mr. Kantathee said this month Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had held bilateral discussion with U.S. President George W. Bush where both sides unanimously agreed to finish the Thai-US FTA negotiation by 2006. Thus increased negotiations will take place to foster justness for both sides as well as to tackle the issues where the Thai private sector had expressed concerns in.

The Foreign Affairs Minister also said Thailand and the U.S. will rapidly proceed with the matters of passports for Thai workers, the fight against terrorism, education, and severe contagious diseases, especially bird flu.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันพฤหัสบดีที่ 29 กันยายน 2548