BANGKOK, 14 November 2013 Vice-President and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Baroness Catherine Ashton has paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the Government House.
Both parties expressed their gratitude for each other’s support and welcomed stronger economic relations as the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) have seen a significant progress.
Miss Yingluck also extended her gratitude for the EU’s warm welcome when she was on tour to Brussels, Belgium, early this year. She also expressed Thailand’s readiness to facilitate the upcoming visit next week of Mr. Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship, who is bringing European investors to the kingdom to discuss business opportunities with Thai entrepreneurs.
Miss Yingluck and Baroness Ashton also discussed a possibility for Thai passport holders to be exempted from Schengen Visa. Miss Yingluck told the EU High Representative that since Japan granted visa exemption to Thai nationalities, Japan has seen an increase of 85 percent in the number of Thai tourists.
