News

On 5 April in Thailand, the Lithuanian delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Antanas Valionis met with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Minister of Foreign Affairs Surakiart Sathirathai, Prime Minister’s Trade Representative Kantathi Suphamongkhon and members of the Thai Parliament’s House of Representatives. During a solemn ceremony, both Foreign Ministers signed a protocol of cooperation between the Lithuanian and Thai Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFA). At the meetings, it was agreed to expand the bilateral political, cultural and economic cooperation. Much attention was drawn to cooperation in the international organisations. Both sides reiterated their mutual support for their candidatures to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the period of 2005-2007. Minister Valionis acquainted Thailand’s officials with Lithuania’s striving to become a member of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and participate in the Summit of this Organisation to take place in October 2004 in Hanoi. The Lithuanian Foreign Minister also invited Thailand to participate in the regional seminar on advancing the 1997 Ottawa Convention scheduled on 8-9 June in Vilnius. Thailand has been chosen to preside over the 5th meeting of the parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction and will lead the Ottawa process till November 2004. A special attention during the conversations in Thailand was devoted to economy. The spheres of trade, investment, tourism, science, IT and biotechnologies were pointed out as extremely promising. It was decided to continue working on bilateral economic agreements and make them ready for signing during the visit of the Thai Foreign Minister, which will possibly take place this year already. On 7 April, the third Lithuanian-Thai Business Forum will be held in Bangkok. At the meetings with Thailand’s officials, Minister Valionis also discussed the issues of facilitating the visa requirements in order to encourage business relations and tourism. The possibility to issue visas to the Lithuanian citizens at the border checkpoints is being considered in Thailand, meanwhile Lithuania will search for possibilities to facilitate the issuing of visas to the Thai businessmen. Antanas Valionis also extended invitations to visit Lithuania to Thailand’s Prime Minister and the Chairmen of both Houses of the Thai Parliament.