Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, will pay an official visit to Qatar during 4-5 July 2009. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen the cordial bilateral ties, as well as to promote trade and investment cooperation, between the two countries.
Foreign Minister Kasit will meet with his counterpart, H.E. Ahmad Bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Member of the Council of Ministers, on 5 July. He is also expected to be granted a Royal Audience with His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Heir Apparent of the State of Qatar. The discussions will mainly focus on the upcoming visit of the Thai Prime Minister to Qatar and the current status of bilateral cooperation, especially in the fields of investment and food security. The Thai Foreign Minister will also have a discussion with the executives of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) on investment opportunities for QIA in Thailand.
During the visit, Foreign Minister Kasit plans to give an interview to Al Jazeera on Thailand’s current political situation, as well as to meet with members of the Thai community.
Next year (2010) will be a special occasion for Thailand and Qatar as it will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Both sides have long enjoyed excellent relations at all levels. Qatar has been supportive of Thailand at the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) forum. The overall bilateral trade volume has increased by 40% from 2007-2008, to approximately USD 3.17 billion. More than 15,000 Qatari visitors travel to Thailand for medical treatment and related services each year. The Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) has secured a deal with Qatargas to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) on a long term basis.
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