Yingluck Discusses Trade With E U In New York

[webfact]

PM discusses trade with EU in NY

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

NEW YORK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday pushed ahead with negotiations to establish a free-trade arrangement with the European Union (EU) to boost Thai exports to the bloc, with which it no longer has any trade privileges.

The issue was discussed during a bilateral meeting between Yingluck and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Thailand and the EU have been exploring the possibility of kick-starting negotiations for a free-trade agreement. Yingluck said any such pact would be of benefit to Thai farmers who produced agricultural items for the European market. Exports of Thai farm products to the EU have declined recently as the Kingdom graduated from the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) scheme.

A free trade agreement would reduce EU import duties and other trade barriers that would eventually benefit Thai farmers, she said.

At the meeting Yingluck also discussed the euro-zone debt crisis with Van Rompuy. He said the EU had issued economic packages to relieve the crisis.

Rompuy also asked about flood disaster management in Thailand and Yingluck said her government had a number of measures to handle and prevent future major floods.

Separately, Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul, who accompanied the prime minister to New York, held a bilateral meeting with Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabian deputy foreign minister, to explore ways to improve diplomatic ties.

It was the first such meeting between Thailand and Saudi Arabia in 20 years since the two kingdoms downgraded diplomatic relations following a controversial jewellery crime and the murder of Saudi diplomats, Surapong said.

Surapong, who chairs a special committee on Saudi issues, told the Saudi prince that Thailand was ready to provide more information on the controversial cases to Riyadh if it requested them.

The meeting was a step to pave the way to improve relations, Surapong said - but he could not guarantee how far it would go.

"At least we have to show our sincerity [in wanting] to upgrade relations," he said. Representatives of the Department of Special Investigation visited Saudi Arabia recently to update Riyadh on the progress of the jewellery and murder case, he said.

-- The Nation 2012-09-27

[asiawatcher]

Scones, Jam and Tea, thrust and parry on what are "you" doing - back and forth. Seems to me this is just a PR exercise and I wonder how many advisers travelled with the PM as by this articles and the swap of questions, may well be something outside her realm of abilities to handle. Or maybe the Puppet Master advised her in what 'polite' questions to ask but also to do a runner as all the floods are once again an issue, and her being absent (by intent?) giving her time to make up more excuses.

[Buchholz]

[Foreign Minister] Surapong, who chairs a special committee on Saudi issues, told the Saudi prince that Thailand was ready to provide more information on the controversial cases to Riyadh if it requested them.

What a clown YIngluck's cousin is.

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Edited September 27, 2012 by Buchholz

[EarthAlien]

Hope she remembers to tell them that they will be "overcome" to do business with Thailand!

After spending 4 years in a Texan university her command of English is astounding!

[khaowong1]

Hope she remembers to tell them that they will be "overcome" to do business with Thailand!

After spending 4 years in a Texan university her command of English is astounding!

It was in Kentucky, not Texas.

[belg]

free trade, would be nice, if i could buy a european (german) car at 0% import tax instead of the 307% crazy imposed taxes now

[Nickymaster]

"Rompuy also asked about flood disaster management in Thailand and Yingluck said her government had a number of measures to handle and prevent future major floods"

Don't worry Mr. Rompuy. YS will make sure the crisis will elevate!

[khunken]

Well, she elevates everything to Dubai anyway.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Meaning of free trade for Thais: they can sell their stuff to us without any import taxes and everything we try to sell to them is heavily taxed (just because we are so rich)

[bigbamboo]

Oh dear.

[rbrooks]

OMG they had better have a translator talk for her at all times during speeches in foreign countries. What did she do at the University in Kentucky? Maybe a little too much sanuk? Who cares she is now prime minister since she is Thaksin's brother. It goes to show you that in Thailand it does not matter how intelligent you are but who you know to progress in politics. Amazing speech by the way!

[Bagwan]

I wonder how much she contributed to the US export market. Saks, Bloomingdales, Tiffany's, Cartier, must have kept her busy. Could she possibly have found time to find out how much some of those cute hovercraft used to great effect in the Everglades and Misissippi delta would set Thailand back? Did it enter her vacant head that some of those would come in very handy in the annual flood season?

If I were a delegate to the UN the prospect of listening to her would drive me to arrange a day's golf with my buddies as an appropriate alternative.

[hellodolly]

[Foreign Minister] Surapong, who chairs a special committee on Saudi issues, told the Saudi prince that Thailand was ready to provide more information on the controversial cases to Riyadh if it requested them.

What a clown YIngluck's cousin is.

.

I caught that also. A show of friendship would be to offer it no strings attached. If I recall the jewels belonged to Saudi Arabia to begin with.

[Tanaka]

free trade, would be nice, if i could buy a european (german) car at 0% import tax instead of the 307% crazy imposed taxes now

No, no, no, you do not understand the Thai way. The free trade is meant to be for Thailand's export, not for imported goods.

[hellodolly]

I liked this bit

"Rompuy also asked about flood disaster management in Thailand and Yingluck said her government had a number of measures to handle and prevent future major floods."

The first thing they have to do is get their cut off the top.

The second thing they have to do is convince Thailand that there is no flood's just like there was no rise in the cost of living.

I wonder if she really believes that the EU are going to buy up Thai overpriced rice.

[nurofiend]

yinglucks name mentioned in a thread title = yingluck bash

Hope she remembers to tell them that they will be "overcome" to do business with Thailand!

After spending 4 years in a Texan university her command of English is astounding!

i still think she said welcome not overcome.

[Skywalker69]

[Foreign Minister] Surapong, who chairs a special committee on Saudi issues, told the Saudi prince that Thailand was ready to provide more information on the controversial cases to Riyadh if it requested them.

What a clown YIngluck's cousin is.

.

It runs in the family.

[pomchop]

And meantime while all the thai visa keyboard warriors sit and type their negative comments about anything and everything that the prime minister of Thailand does or does not do she is meeting with the President of the United States and other world leaders at least attempting to do something positive for thailand...

[Buchholz]

[Foreign Minister] Surapong, who chairs a special committee on Saudi issues, told the Saudi prince that Thailand was ready to provide more information on the controversial cases to Riyadh if it requested them.

What a clown YIngluck's cousin is.

I caught that also. A show of friendship would be to offer it no strings attached. If I recall the jewels belonged to Saudi Arabia to begin with.

Withholding information like that is done when compensation is wanted for that information.

.