On 14 February 2012, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, held a bilateral meeting with Mr. S. M. Krishna, Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India, during the Delhi Dialogue IV held in New Delhi, India. Highlights of the meeting were as follows:
1. Overview
External Minister Krishna expressed his sincere appreciation to Foreign Minister Surapong for participating in the Delhi Dialogue IV. At the same time, he also expressed great admiration for the visit of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra as Chief Guest at the Republic Day Celebration on 26 January 2012 and was of the view that the said visit represented the close relations between the two countries. As the year 2012 marked two decades of comprehensive engagement between India and ASEAN, there would be the ASEAN - India Summits held in November 2012 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and December 2012 in New Delhi respectively.
Foreign Minister Surapong, in turn, thanked the Government of India for the excellent arrangements and said it was a pleasure for him to return to New Delhi for the third time in three months. This indeed reiterated Thailand‘s effort to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries. The upcoming ASEAN - India Summits would provide a great opportunity for India in elevating the ASEAN - India relations to a strategic partnership status.
2. Thailand-Myanmar-India Trilateral Highway
Foreign Minister Surapong briefed External Minister Krishna the updated development of the Thailand — Myanmar - India Trilateral Highway, given the Thai cabinet had already approved the budget of approximately 1,140 million baht (3.8 million US dollars) to help repair the existing 18 kilometer road from the border of Thailand to Tenasserim mountain range and build a 28 kilometer road from Tenasserim mountain range to Kokarek. In this regard, the Thai side requested the Government of India to update the status of the development of the route on India’s part to enable connectivity along the East - West Economic Corridor (EWEC).
Mr. Sanjay Singh, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, replied that the Government of India had built the road and 50 land bridges from the City of Tamu in India to reach the border of Myanmar at Kalewa, while the Government of Myanmar has also started road constructions to connect Kalewa - Mektila - Mandaley -Napidor — Rangoon, ensuring that the EWEC route would be ready for use soon.
3. Follow-up on the result of the visit to India of the Prime Minister Yingluck
Foreign Minister Surapong urged the Indian side to set up the Joint Working Group on Connectivity and Infrastructure as a forum to discuss Thailand — Myanmar - India Trilateral Highway and also wished the two side to expedite on the negotiation towards concluding the bilateral comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. Regarding to the well-being and treatment of Indian tourists, Prime Minister Yingluck has already assigned Deputy Prime Minister Pol. Copt. Chalerm Yubumrung to look into this matter and consider appropriate measures in welcoming Indian tourists. In this connection, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would also hold internal consultation with relevant agencies, with a view to convening the ad hoc Joint Working Group on Visa and Consular Matters in due time.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th