NEW YORK, Sept 24 — Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will pay an official visit to Myanmar early October to strengthen bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries which are fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul.
The visit would be the Thai prime minister’s introductory visit to the country after taking office, following her trip to Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos last week and she was also scheduled to visit Malaysia on Oct 3.
Mr Surapong, who was attending the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and held bilateral talks with his Myanmar counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin, asserted Thailand’s government policy to strengthen bilateral ties with neighbouring countries.
He said Thailand and Myanmar relations had developed continuously, particularly in the exchange visits of senior officials and cooperation in the crackdown of illicit drugs, registration of Myanmar workers in Thailand, prevention of human trafficking and the construction of a new deep-sea port in Tavoy, southern Myanmar.
Thailand had proposed to host the 7th Thai-Myanmar Joint Commission, he said.
Mr Surapong said he and his Myanmar counterpart had discussed the possibility to open the checkpoint at the Mae Sot district of Tak and Myanmar had agreed to inform relevant agencies to consider the proposal.
Thai premier planned to pay an official visit to Myanmar early this October and was waiting only for confirmation from Myanmar authorities, he said.
The Thai minister also hailed the continuity of democracy development and reconciliation in Myanmar and hoped the process would bear successfully results.
Thailand also supported Myanmar to take the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN in 2014.
