Thailand and South Korea agreed on Saturday to work closely together to expand bilateral trade volume to US$30 billion by 2016 as their leaders pledged to upgrade relations between the two countries to a “strategic partnership.

20121110174214

“Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and visiting South Korean President Lee Myung-bak reached the agreement during bilateral talks in Bangkok.Mr Lee, who arrived in Bangkok on Friday, is the first South Korean president to make an official bilateral visit to Thailand in 31 years.

According to the joint statement after the talks, the leaders also agreed to “serious efforts” to conclude a trade and economic cooperation “action plan” for 2013-2017 at an early date to further energise trade and minimise trade barriers. They asked the joint trade committee of both sides to start negotiations as soon as possible.Trade between South Korea and Thailand reached an all-time high of $13.9 billion last year.

Bangkok and Seoul have agreed to seek preliminary discussions and a joint study about forging a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in order to strengthen economic links between the two countries, said the joint statement.

via Thailand, South Korea agree to expand trade to US$30 bln within 5 years | MCOT.net.

About the author

Zhong Li is a tech journalist who covers the latest developments in artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology. Zhong Li is passionate about exploring the ethical and social implications of emerging technologies.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Get notified of our weekly selection of news

You May Also Like

Thailand and China to Expand Free Trade Agreement (FTA)

China was the largest trading partner of Thailand in 2022, with a bilateral trade value reaching 3.69 trillion baht, which accounted for about 18% of Thailand’s total foreign trade volume.

What shifting supply chains for semiconductors mean for Emerging markets in South-East Asia

The manufacturing of semiconductors is dominated by three countries – China, South Korea and Taiwan – which accounted for 87% of the global market in 2021.

Thai government endorses Thailand-EU FTA

Thailand currently has 14 active FTAs with 18 countries, with the proposed Thailand-EU FTA to increase the number of countries the kingdom can freely trade with to 45.