Thai and Japanese Foreign Ministers meet in Mekong-Japan Summit

[Lite Beer]

Thai and Japanese Foreign Ministers meet in Mekong-Japan Summit

TOKYO, 4 July 2015 (NNT) – The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and Japan today held talks during the 7th Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo, Japan.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minster of Foreign Affairs Gen Tanasak Patimapragorn today met with the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida during the session of the 7th Mekong-Japan that took place in Tokyo, Japan.

During the meeting, the Thai Foreign Minister said regarding Thailand - Japan relations, stating they are true friends and strategic partners, contributing to their mutual development and that of the region. He the praised the Japanese government for hosting this Mekong-Japan summit, which is an important mechanism that binds Japan to the Mekong countries, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand.

He said that this summit also serves to tighten the partnership between Thailand and Japan in important regional development projects that will lead to the sustainable development of Thailand and other countries in the region.

The Thai DPM and Foreign Minister then officially invited the Japanese Foreign Minister to Thailand to co-chair the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA) Joint Committee, where both nations will discuss additional cooperation in agriculture, business facilitation, SME promotion, and tourism.

Thailand is now aiming to encourage Japan to increase its imports of agricultural products from Thailand, and to provide training to people in various industries to help support future exchanges in professional knowledge and technology.

The Thai Foreign Minister also thanked Japan for its aid of the Thai aviation business, which is currently suffering from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s Significant Security Concern (SSC) status given to Thailand. Japanese authorities allowed Thai carriers to continue flying to destinations in Japan, and agreed to send aviation experts to provide technical help to the Thai Department of Civil Aviation.

On this occasion, the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed his confidence for Thailand's internal development, and encouraged trade and investment between both countries, especially after the integration of the ASEAN Community in the near future.

He said that Thailand will become the main investment destination in the ASEAN region for Japanese private companies, leading to more support for Thailand's competitiveness.

The Japanese Foreign Minister also praised Thailand’s role to solve the irregular migration issue, and expressed that Japan was willing to help on this matter.

-- NNT 2015-07-04