PM wants Thai-Saudi cooperation blueprint ready in 2 months
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed government agencies concerned to come up with road maps on Thai-Saudi cooperation in various fields within two months.
Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Monday that the prime minister wants government agencies to speed up drafting of road maps to follow up on the normalisation of Thai-Saudi diplomatic ties on January 25.
Prayut led a high-level delegation to Saudi Arabia to normalise ties on January 25 after three decades of estranged relations.
The government agencies concerned must set up mechanisms on bilateral cooperation to draft cooperation frameworks and concretely implement the frameworks, Thanakorn said.
“The prime minister emphasised the formulation of road maps for cooperation to cover all dimensions to follow up on the momentum of his historic visit to Saudi Arabia,” the spokesman said.
“Comprehensive consultations will have to be made with coordination by both state and private sectors for the highest interest of the two peoples. The prime minister also wants to see concrete results within two months.”
Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry has consulted with the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand and Thailand’s Chamber of Commerce on how to reach the goal of a 6.2 per cent export growth to the Middle East nation.
The research arm of Kasikornbank has predicted that Thailand’s exports to Saudi Arabia may grow by 15 per cent with an export value of some US$1.9 billion.
Kasikornbank said Thailand has the potential to export agricultural and industrial products to the Middle East country, including halal foods, rice, processed seafood, fruits, spice, instant cereal meals, rubber products, wood products, and electric appliances.
The bank said Thailand also has the potential to offer medical and hospitality services to Saudi patients and tourists.
The Labour Ministry also plans to train Thai labourers through upskilling and reskilling programmes so that their qualifications will meet the demands of Saudi employers. The ministry is allowing Thai workers to register for jobs in Saudi Arabia via the Overseas Employment E-service website of the Department of Employment.
