President Asif Zardari on Wednesday urged for translating the cordial relationship and the immense goodwill between Pakistan and Thailand into a substantive partnership of mutual benefit and boosting bilateral relations to new heights.
President Zardari said this while speaking to Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinwatra during a meeting at the Presidency.
President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the two leaders discussed bilateral‚ regional and international issues.
The president said Pakistan and Thailand have been longstanding friends and allies as the ties and cultural connection between two societies goes back to more than two millennia to the Buddhist Gandhara period.
“Gandhara civilization forms an immutable bond between our two peoples‚” he said. The president remarked that Pakistan was proud to have preserved and promoted this rich heritage‚ which was indeed the common cultural heritage of the world‚ including Thailand.
President Zardari said, “Our common cultural heritage, particularly Gandhara civilizations, provides huge opportunities for promoting tourism between the two countries.”
The president suggested for organising Gandhara exhibition in Thailand‚ which he said would help further promote cultural and tourism ties between the two countries.
Discussing bilateral ties‚ President Zardari said Pakistan was keen to comprehensively upgrade its relationship with Thailand‚ “as a critical component of our Vision East Asia”.
The spokesman said that the president stressed for more deepened and broadened relations at the government-to-government‚ business-to-business‚ parliament-to-parliament and people-to-people levels‚ which the president said were critical to building robust economic and trade relations between the two countries.
President Zardari expressed confidence that the agreements signed between the two sides on establishment of a joint trade committee and joint business council would help expand bilateral trade ties and open new vistas of business and trade. He, however, emphasised on free trade agreement between the two countries which he said should be the centre-piece of the strong economic partnership.
Discussing regional and international issues of mutual interest‚ the president expressed satisfaction that the two countries have shared perceptions and similar positions on a range of regional and international issues.
“Close cooperation in the regional and multilateral fora has been an important hallmark of our relationship,” the president said. He praised Thailand’s consistent support to Pakistan in becoming a full dialogue partner with the ASEAN.
President Zardari also praised the Thai government’s recent financial support for rehabilitation of earthquake affectees in Balochistan in 2013 and floods victims in 2011 and its generous assistance for the flood victims in 2010.
