On 22 July 2009 at 8.00 hours, Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand met with Mr. Hirofumi Nakasone, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Phuket, Thailand. Gist is as follows:
Both sides reaffirmed their strong determination to continue promoting bilateral relations in all areas and dimensions. They also agreed on the importance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to the development of the economy. Recently, the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) has provided a loan to commercial banks in Thailand that can be used for lending to Thai SMEs which would in turn lead to more job creation in the economy. Foreign Minister Kasit also added that he will consult with the Ministry of Finance on ways to further promote SMEs in Thailand.
In addition, both sides also discussed cooperation on infrastructure development in Thailand. The Japanese minister noted that Japan had played an important role in mass transit projects in Thailand and is considering taking part in the upcoming drinking water improvement project.
Foreign Minister Kasit expressed his appreciation for Japan’s continued active role in ASEAN, be it in the framework of ASEAN-Japan, ASEAN+3, East Asia Summit (EAS), or ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
During the meeting, the two ministers signed the Treaty between the Kingdom of Thailand and Japan on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and on Co-operation in the Enforcement of Sentences, signifying the strengthening of cooperation between Thailand and Japan in the area of criminal justice.
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