Prime Minister meets with Prime Minister of Bangladesh Moving forward with cooperation to reduce trade and investment barriers, pushing for FTA negotiations this year.

“Seththa” welcomed and discussed with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, moving forward relations and cooperation in all aspects. Reduce barriers to trade and investment Ready to push for the start of FTA negotiations between Thailand and Bangladesh within this year.

Today (April 26) at 10:30 a.m. at the lawn area in front of the Thai Khu Fa Building. Government House, Mr. Settha Thavisin, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Welcoming Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. On the occasion of his official visit to Thailand as a guest of the government.

Prime Minister and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Participated in inspecting the ranks of the Honor Guard at the lawn in front of the Thai Khu Fa Building. Government House, then the Prime Minister invited the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Go to the purple room. To introduce the Cabinet Then he invited the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Go to the ivory room outside. to sign the guest book and view souvenirs given by both sides to each other and both sides participated in bilateral discussions (Four Eyes) in the ivory room inside. After that at 11:00 a.m., the Prime Minister held a full discussion with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh at Phakdee Bodin Building. After the full discussion was completed, Mr. Chai Watcharong, spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office Reveal important information as follows:

The Prime Minister said that Thailand and Bangladesh have always had good relations with each other since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Ready to believe that This visit will be an opportunity to enhance bilateral cooperation. Especially in the area of ​​trade and investment to set a clear direction together to create progress and prosperity for both countries.

Prime Minister of Bangladesh Congratulations on this visit. Thank you for the warm welcome from the Thai government. The two countries have a long-standing foundation of good relations with each other at all levels. including relationships at the public level which are all connected in terms of culture, language, history Aspiration to develop the country as well as multilateral cooperation to drive shared prosperity in the region. They also praised Thailand’s development projects in various fields, such as agriculture, technology and digital. which is considered a model for Bangladesh and sincerely hope that both sides will increase cooperation A lot of knowledge can be exchanged between each other. Ready to invite the Prime Minister to pay an official visit to Bangladesh on the first opportunity.

On this occasion, both sides discussed important cooperation issues as follows:

On the economic side, both sides welcomed the close economic cooperation between Thailand and Bangladesh. In which there will be a Thailand-Bangladesh Free Trade Agreement. (Thailand-Bangladesh FTA) and will jointly push for FTA negotiations within 2024. Bangladesh is Thailand’s second largest trading partner in South Asia. Therefore, it is believed that the creation of the FTA will be an important factor in expanding market access and promoting mutual investment in various sectors, such as the halal industry. High value food processing and energy cooperation in petroleum exploration and production.

Facilitation of trade and investment Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Minister of Commerce of Bangladesh Inviting Thai investors to invest further in Bangladesh. Both countries can expand the trade market in the ASEAN region. Especially in the markets of India, Nepal and Bhutan, the Prime Minister has asked Bangladesh to consider measures to promote investment and facilitate more business operations for Thai investors. In particular, relaxation of tax regulations that require the private sector to pay advance income tax (Advance Income Tax: AIT) and restrictions on the transfer of foreign currency out of the country (Foreign Currency Remittance Regulations).

In agriculture, we agree on creating food security. The Prime Minister asked Bangladesh to consider importing halal products and fruits from Thailand. which Thailand has expertise and ready to exchange knowledge and technology with Bangladesh The Prime Minister of Bangladesh spoke about the mutual exchange of knowledge through universities and research institutes in which Thailand has expertise. both in the agricultural industry food processing and deep-sea fishing

Promoting connections Both sides welcomed the progress in promoting the opening of shipping between Ranong Port and Chittagong Port. It is a potential shipping route. Helps reduce time and transportation costs Promote maritime connectivity

Cooperation between people Both sides are pleased that Thailand and Bangladesh were able to reach an agreement on visa exemption for official passport holders between them. This will help facilitate more contact between Thai and Bangladeshi officials. Bangladesh has proposed additional visa exemptions for other categories of passport holders as well, which the Prime Minister is willing to consider further. Ready to see the potential in tourism Having the cultural and historical heritage of both countries that can be a tourist destination.

Cooperation for development Ready to share experiences and expertise, Thailand supports Bangladesh in training and capacity building of medical personnel. To support the increasing demand for health services Bangladesh agrees and is willing to offer cooperation between educational institutions. This will help Bangladesh in meeting the new demands. and promote economic development

Cooperation in a multilateral framework The Prime Minister is pleased to welcome the Prime Minister of Bangladesh once again. In participating in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit (the 6th BIMSTEC Summit) on September 4, 2024, which Thailand is hosting this year, both sides are ready to work together. Push forward the completion of the BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement.

The situation in Myanmar Both sides expressed concern over the situation. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh is considering the large number of refugees. The Prime Minister emphasized Thailand’s willingness to provide humanitarian assistance based on the principles of Unified, Stable and Peaceful, which the Prime Minister believes is the best solution. Ready to confirm that Thailand continues to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected.

At the end, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh mentioned the name of the Prime Minister. which is similar to the word শ্রেষ্ঠ (Srestha) in Bengali. which means The Best, so we believe that Working with the Thai government on this visit will have important implications for cooperation in various fields. that will be mutually beneficial in the future