Thailand, Russia To Hold Trade Talks Next Week

Thailand, Russia to hold trade talks next week

BANGKOK, April 15 -- In an effort to double the value of bilateral trade by 2015, Thailand and Russia will hold a one-day trade and economic cooperation meeting here on Monday, a ranking Ministry of Commerce official said Friday.

Srirat Rastapana, director-general of Trade Negotiations Department, said Commerce Minister Pornthiva Nakasai will lead the Thai delegates and Deputy Minister for Economic Development Igor Manylov will head the Russian delegation at the meeting of the trade and economic cooperation sub-committee, the first of its kind to be organised by the two countries.

Major issues to be raised at the meeting are expected to include trade obstacles hindering both sides as the two countries want to double their combined trade value by 2015, Mrs Srirat said.

The Thai delegates are expected to raise problems involving the Thai export of fresh, frozen and processed chicken, and marine food to Russia while the latter would probably bring problems on exports to Thailand as well as exploring markets in this country for its industrial products, she said.

The combined trade value between the two countries stood at about Bt127 billion last year. Of the total, Thailand exported goods worth about Bt24 billion and imported goods worth nearly Bt103 billion.

Major Thai exports to Russia are automobiles, electrical appliances and canned fruits while imports are crude oil, iron and steel, and fertiliser.

At present, the number of Russian tourists visiting Thailand ranked third after Chinese and Japanese. More than 600,000 Russians visited the kingdom in 2010, nearly doubling from the number of Russian tourists visiting this country the previous year.

The Thai government is encouraging Thai businessmen to invest more in Russia, especially in fields which they have efficiency such as the hotel and hospitaliy, restaurant, maintenance, poultry raising and furniture production sectors. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-04-15