Thailand, Qatar agree to expand bilateral cooperation

QATAR, May 15 (TNA) - Thailand and Qatar have agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in the economic, food security, financial, energy and health sectors, as well as to exchange support in global forums and to use each other as regional gateways. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is paying an official visit to Qatar from May 15-17, referred to good and long-standing bilateral relations between Qatar and Thailand and the Thai government's plan to further expand relations with Qatar at bilateral and regional levels at a full-panel discussion with Qatar authorities, led by her Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani, at the Qatar Prime Minister’s Guesthouse in Doha, Qatar's capital, on Tuesday, during which she also expressed her hope that Thailand and Qatar, as the centers of their respective regions, would become each other’s gateway for trade and investment expansion. Both sides discussed political and military cooperation as well and Thailand thanked Qatar for supporting the Thai Kingdom in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) concerning problems in the southern Thai border region and for supporting education and investment in the far South. Yingluck also expressed her hope that Qatar would continue to back the Thai government's stance in the 39th OIC Ministerial Meeting to be held in Djibouti later this year. The Thai prime minister said her government has also invited Qatar to invest in new infrastructure projects in Thailand, especially transportation networks to reach Thailand’s neighboring countries as well as China and India, and has informed Qatar that Thai contractors are reciprocally interested in infrastructure and stadium projects in Qatar, which will host the World Cup in 2022. Besides, Thailand expressed its readiness to supply food products to Qatar and share food technology and halal food knowledge with the Gulf state. The Thai premier acknowledged both countries will expand cooperation on health businesses and health-oriented tourism; while Thai private hospitals hope to provide medical services for the World Cup in 2022. Regarding other cooperation, PTT Public Company Limited, Thailand's largest petroleum firm, will sign a long-term liquefied natural gas contract with Qatar gas; while Qatar has promised to lift its ban on Thai chicken. After the meeting, the Thai prime minister witnessed the signing of a bilateral agreement on employment regulations in Qatar. (TNA)