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Remarks by
H.E. Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva,
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand
at Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry
31 March 2010, Manama, BahrainHis Excellency Abdullah Hassan Saif, Adviser to the Prime Minister,
Dr. Esam Abdulla Yousif Fakhro, Chairman of Bahrain Chamber of
Commerce and Industry,
Mr. Jawad Al Hawaj, Chairman of the Bahrain-Thai JBC,
Distinguished members of the business community,
Ladies and Gentlemen,1. It gives me great pleasure to be here in Bahrain on an official visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Bahrain. I am also pleased to be in the company of such a distinguished group of the Bahraini business community. Thailand and Bahrain have long enjoyed especially close and cordial relations. I am thus truly honoured to be here representing the government and people of the Kingdom of Thailand Kingdom of Bahrain for their part in forging the special ties that have led to extensive cooperation between our two Kingdoms. and expressing deep appreciation to our good friends in the
2. As the new economic landscape is being drawn upon the backdrop of the recent global financial and economic crises, new opportunities in business arise for both Thailand and Bahrain. We can demonstrate the strengths of our economies, and we saw that last year, as both Bahrain and Thailand proved to be resilient amidst the global financial crisis. We are both in regions with great potential for growth and are each other’s gateways. The scene has been set for governments and private sectors to expand cooperation.
3. My Government is committed to working to streamline business rules and regulations, as well as lift the standard of Thai industrial and agricultural products to make the country more competitive. Moreover, with Thailand as a dynamic gateway to the ASEAN Economic Community, which, once achieved in 2015, will become one market of about 600 million people and a single production base, it is all the more natural for the business sector in Bahrain, as well as other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, to invest and form partnerships with the Thai business sector.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
4. Thailand admires Bahrain’s aspiration to transform itself into a globally competitive economy, as stipulated in the Economic Vision 2030. We wish to take part in supporting this admirable vision by expanding our relations in all fields with Bahrain. Bahrain is our gateway to the Middle East, as Thailand is to Asia.
5. I congratulate the business sector of both countries for the establishment of the Joint Business Council and the Thailand Food Security Stockpile Distribution Centre, both private-driven and government-facilitated. The agreement and MOU on these undertakings reflect the close cooperation between and support by both governments and private sectors. I wish these joint efforts every success. Moreover, we will also be working together on a housing construction project very soon, and I do hope to see this come into being.
6. I echo the words of Dr. Fakhro that this is the first step for us to cement our economic ties. I sincerely look forward to enhanced trade and investment cooperation. Thailand’s dynamism and opportunities offered make the country very attractive - especially for Bahrain to tap into the potential of building even deeper partnership. With determination and support from all of us, we can achieve greater growth and prosperity.
Thank you and Sawasdee Krub.