Riyadh: The Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Amir Mohammed bin Salman and his team, who arrived in the capital Bangkok at the invitation of the Thai Prime Minister, received a warm welcome. The Crown Prince held talks with the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha. Friday saw the two leaders sign five agreements, including the formation of the Saudi-Thai Coordination Council.
The two leaders discussed various aspects of bilateral relations and ways to develop and improve them. The media of both countries reported that there were friendly talks on several issues of common interest. Thailand aims to become Saudi Arabia’s gateway to the Asian market, Thai media reported, citing top trade sources.
The Crown Prince expressed hope that the agreements signed at the end of the negotiations would benefit the economies of both countries. At the start of the discussion, the Crown Prince said that, since our first meeting nine months ago, the two countries had agreed to cooperate in many areas and that many of them had been achieved beyond our expectations. Mohammed bin Salman added that the new understanding will benefit both countries in the fields of energy, tourism, investment, infrastructure development and agriculture.
He noted that there are possibilities to collaborate with Thailand, which established relations in the middle of the last century, in other areas as well. Congratulating the Saudi ruler Salman bin Abdulaziz King and the people, Ocha emphasized his readiness to strengthen relations and close bilateral work with the crown prince. The first memorandum of understanding was about cooperation in the energy sector between the energy ministries of the two countries. Saudi Energy Minister Amir Abdulaziz bin Salman and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Supata Pong Ban Misha exchanged it.
Foreign Minister Amir Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramud presented the Memorandum of Understanding on the formation of the Saudi-Thai Coordination Council. A Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the tourism sector was signed by the Acting Saudi Minister of Trade and Media, Dr. Majid Al-Khasabi, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand Phifat Rachakit Prakarn exchanged hands.
Saudi Investment Minister Ng signed a memorandum of understanding in the area of promoting direct investment between the two countries. Khalid Al-Falih hands over the reins to the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai The Memorandum of Understanding between the anti-corruption authority ‘Nasaha’ and the National Anti-Corruption Authority of Thailand has been handed over to the President Thai Authority Prasar Narajkita by President ‘Nasaha’ Masin Al Kahmoos.
