H.E. Mr. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, welcomed and had a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Murat Nurtleu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, during an official visit to Thailand as guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and participation in the 80th Session of Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Conference in Bangkok between 21 – 23 April 2024.
During the bilateral discussion on 23 April 2024, both sides exchanged views on ways to enhance relations in various economic areas of mutual interest, especially in trade and investment as Kazakhstan is Thailand’s primary trade partner in Central Asia. The Deputy Prime Ministers welcomed the cooperation on tourism and the increase of people-to-people contacts. In 2023, more than 170,000 Kazakh tourists visited Thailand, an increase of more than 190 percent from the previous year. In addition, both sides expressed readiness to work closely together through continued cooperation in multilateral frameworks to further strengthen the relations between Thailand and Kazakhstan.
After the discussion, both Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers of Foreign Affairs signed the Agreement on Visa Exemption for National Passport Holders, which allows passport holders with at least six-month validity from both countries to enter, exit, transit, and temporary stay in the territory of the State of the other Party for a period not exceeding 30 calendar days from the date of their entry. Both sides also witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Tourism. The two documents aim at facilitating more travel and people-to-people exchanges, in line with the positive dynamism of the bilateral relations between Thailand and Kazakhstan. (MFA)
