PM Modi holds bilateral meet with Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-o-cha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-o-cha in the Thai capital Bangkok on Sunday. The bilateral meet was held in the sidelines of the 16th ASEAN-India summit. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in a tweet said, "A strong historical and cultural connect. PM @narendramodi had a good conversation with the host of @ASEAN2019TH, Thai PM @prayutofficial on stepping up our bilateral cooperation through connectivity, trade & investment, defence and security, among other areas."

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Avenues for better bilateral cooperation

According to an official statement, during the meeting, both leaders reviewed the progress made in the bilateral relationship and noted that frequent high-level meetings and exchanges at all levels have created positive momentum in the relationship. Both sides agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation in the defence industries sector noting the enhanced engagement in defence and security fields. PM Modi and PM Chan-o-cha also lauded the 20% growth in bilateral trade last year.

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The official statement said that both leaders welcomed the growing air connectivity between the two countries and start of a direct flight between Bangkok and Guwahati and also finalisation of agreements for cooperation between Ranong Port, Thailand and Indian ports in Kolkata, Chennai, and Visakhapatnam. The leaders also exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest. Prime Minister Modi thanked Thai Prime Minister for the invitation extended to him to attend the ASEAN related meetings, and also congratulated him on his leadership as Chair of ASEAN. He positively assessed the contribution of Thailand as the Country Coordinator for India-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for further strengthening this relationship.

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"India and Thailand are close maritime neighbours having historical and cultural linkages. In the contemporary context, India's 'Act East' policy is complimented by Thailand's 'Look West' policy which has made the relationship deep, robust and multifaceted," a statement said. Earlier, PM Modi, while addressing the 16th India-ASEAN summit, said that the South East Asian group is at the core of India's Act East Policy.

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(With ANI inputs)