BANGKOK, Aug 15 — Visiting United States Sen Jim Webb, US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Monday met Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, congratulated Thailand’s first female premier on her election and expressed readiness to work with the new Thai government.
The influential US lawmaker also visiting heads of state, foreign policy, military and business officials in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam Aug 12-25.
Ms Yingluck welcomed Sen Webb, Chairman of the US Senate’s Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, at the Thai Ku Fah Building at Government House.
Mr Webb said he came to congratulate Ms Yingluck who officially assumed her post only last Monday, and expressed hope that both the US and Thailand will coordinate their bilateral cooperation and further foster the already strong relations between the two countries.
Welcoming the return to normalcy in Thailand after last year’s violence, the Virginia senator said Thailand had taken another step in democracy and that the US is ready to work with her new government.
Meanwhile, Ms Yingluck said that Mr Webb wanted to see the peaceful solution to the political crisis in Thailand and leading to the reconciliation and the US was ready to support Thailand in various fields.
The White House earlier said that the US President Barack Obama had also congratulated Ms Yingluck on her election and the Thai people on the success of the democratic process.
In a telephone conversation, the White House said, Mr Obama and Ms Yingluck had underscored the enduring nature of the US-Thailand friendship and alliance, and pledged to strengthen the bilateral relationship and work together to ensure peace and stability in the Asia Pacific.
