BANGKOK, 8 October 2013 – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, during her visit to Indonesia, has met with her Australian counterpart Tony Abbott, who has recently been elected as Prime Minister of Australia.
PM Yingluck and PM Abbott have met for the first time since the Australian prime minister took office. The two met during the 21st APEC meeting in Bali, Indonesia. Miss Yingluck said to Mr. Abbott that she had confidence Australia would play a vital role in this region’s economic growth. She also invited her Australian counterpart to visit Thailand, as Thailand would next year play host to the Senior Official Talks (SOT) and the Australia-Thailand Joint Commission.
Meanwhile, PM Abbott said he would be willing to visit Thailand and promote bilateral cooperation on education through exchange programs.
Miss Yingluck also expressed her desire to get Australia involved in Thailand’s science, technology, and innovation as well as to exchange knowledge through researches and academics.
Lastly, the Thai Premier thanked her counterpart for being supportive of Thailand’s application to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. She also asked him to support Thailand in its bid to get a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), while reassuring that Thailand has been placing its emphasis on protecting the rights and liberty of the people.
