The cabinet met on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. Some of the decisions are as follows:
The Cabinet agreed with the Draft Royal Decree on the convocation of legislative ordinary session of the National Assembly B.E. 2556 (December 21, 2013 onwards) as proposed by the Cabinet Secretariat. The draft is to be presented to His Majesty the King.
The Cabinet Secretariat suggested that the date set for the convocation of legislative ordinary session of the National Assembly B.E. 2556 is imminent, thus Royal Decree to convoke legislative ordinary session of National Assembly B.E. 2556 was drafted.
Following Ministry of Foreign Affairs? suggestion, the Cabinet,
1. Agreed with draft framework Agreement for the cooperation between ASEAN and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and its appendices. Should necessity arise to amend draft document in inessential parts that will not result in country?s loss of benefit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs may proceed without the Cabinet?s further approval.
2. Approved for the ASEAN Secretary-General or an authorized person to be the signatory of the draft framework Agreement for the cooperation between ASEAN and UNESCO.
3. Approved for Ministry of Foreign Affairs to notify the ASEAN Secretariat of Thailand?s approval via Thai Permanent Representative to ASEAN in Jakarta.
The draft framework Agreement is a document on five-year cooperation between ASEAN and UNESCO (2014-2018) emphasizing cooperation on education, culture, communication and information technology, science and technology, humanities and social studies, natural disaster risk reduction, and environmental sustainability.
Following Ministry of Commerce?s suggestion, the Cabinet,
1. Agreed and approved the signing of Agreements on trade in services and investment under ASEAN-India Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation before submitting these two agreements to the National Assembly, in compliance with Article 190 of Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, for its deliberation and approval to bind upon Thailand.
2. Assigned Commerce Minister or Deputy Commerce Minister or an authorized person as signatory of the two agreements. Should necessity arise to amend aforementioned agreements in inessential parts, the signatory may consider proceeding on the Cabinet?s behalf.
3. Assigned Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue Full Powers for Commerce Minister or Deputy Commerce Minister or an authorized person to sign the aforementioned agreements.
4. When the National Assembly agrees of 1., concerned offices may proceed to internally implement the 2 agreements. In order to enforce the two agreements, Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to notify the ASEAN Secretary-General that Thailand has already completed its internal process.
Following Ministry of Information and Communication Technology?s suggestion, the Cabinet,
1. Agreed with draft Singapore Declaration to be singed at the thirteenth ASEAN Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers Meeting.
2. Assigned Information and Communication Technology Minister or an authorized person as signatory of the document in 1. Should necessity arise to amend the aforementioned draft document in inessential parts that will not result in country?s loss of benefit, Ministry of Information and Communication Technology may proceed without further approval of the Cabinet.
Gist of draft Singapore Declaration
Draft Singapore Declaration aims to express political intent of ASEAN Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers in the promotion of cooperation on information technology and telecommunication as well as the operations under ASEAN ICT Masterplan 2015, and future development of the master plan.
As proposed by Ministry of Transportation, the Cabinet acknowledged draft Joint Statement on the Governmental Cooperation Project on the Railway Infrastructure Development in Exchange of Agricultural Products from Thailand.
Gist of draft joint statement:
(1) Both parties discuss further about the cooperation on railway infrastructure development route Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai with the barter exchange of rice and other agricultural products from Thailand.
(2) Both parties are to discuss the aforementioned cooperation on the following principles:
(a) Fifty per cent of payment for the railway infrastructure development project will be paid in cash and the rest fifty percent is to be the barter exchange of rice and other agricultural products, which must be an extra quantity from the presently-traded rice and agricultural products.
(b) Prices of rice and other agricultural products are to be determined in accordance with global market?s prices.
(c) An international organization, acknowledged by both parties, is to estimate the project?s cost.
(d) Implementation of the project must be in compliance with timeframe and internal legal procedures of both parties.
(3) Joint Commission on Thailand-China?s railway cooperation, which was established in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Railway Development between the Governments of the Kingdom of Thailand and People?s Republic of China signed on April 17, 2012 in Beijing, is to discuss about types of cooperation, project?s timeframe and cost, payment in agricultural products, and arrangement of contracts necessary for the implementation.
--Cabinet Meeting (Yingluck Shinawatra) November 5, 2013--