By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Thailand on Wednesday renewed strong desire and commitment to consolidate and further enhance cooperation in diverse fields in line with their shared objectives of peace and development.
It was agreed during 2nd round of Pakistan-Thailand Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) held virtually. Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and Permanent Secretary of Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Thani Thongphakdi led their respective delegations.
They reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations from political, defence and security to economic, trade and investment ties, education, science and technology, culture, tourism and multilateral cooperation, Foreign office spokesperson in a press release said.
The two sides also welcomed the steady progression in multi-dimensional bilateral relations over the years based on mutual trust and understanding. They noted the importance of regular interaction and dialogue under existing mechanisms and exchange of high-level visits to provide momentum to the relationship. Thailand’s “Look West” and Pakistan’s “Vision East Asia” policies complement each other. A bilateral meeting preceded the delegation-level talks.
Foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood highlighted Pakistan’s focus on ensuring economic security leveraging its geo-economic location, development partnerships, and regional peace and security.
He stressed the importance of translating the longstanding friendship, shared heritage and political goodwill between Pakistan and Thailand into substantial economic relationship for greater mutual benefit. “There was immense scope for cooperation in trade and investment, connectivity and development given that the two countries were “gateways” to their respective regions,” a press release quoted him as saying. It was agreed to work together for early conclusion of a mutually beneficial bilateral free trade agreement.
Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has also extended invitation to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand Don Pramudwinai for the next round of Joint Economic Commission (JEC)to be hosted by Pakistan.
The recent signing of the bilateral MOU on Defence Cooperation was welcomed and it was decided to expedite several other agreements in the pipeline including in the fields of agriculture and science and technology.
