BANGKOK, June 26 (TNA) – Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his wife on Wednesday welcomed Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay and his wife at Government House during their official visit to Thailand.
The leaders reviewed the honor guard, took photos together, and signed the guestbook before commencing full committee discussions.
The purpose of the full committee meeting was to strengthen the relationship between Thailand and Bhutan. The Thai Prime Minister congratulated his Bhutanese counterpart on his re-election and emphasized the importance of cooperation in the area of Gross National Happiness (GNH) of Bhutan, which aligns with Thailand’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy.
Both parties also discussed trade and investment. They announced the initiation of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, targeting a trade value of USD 120 million, with an aim to conclude the negotiations by 2025.
The Bhutanese Prime Minister proposed the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) project, a royal initiative, highlighting its potential. Thailand expressed interest in investing in infrastructure, retail, healthcare, and agricultural technology.
Furthermore, the two sides agreed to promote Bhutan’s organic agricultural products in the Thai market and to exchange technological knowledge on agricultural processing. They also discussed Buddhist tourism, medical and health tourism, and community-based tourism.
The Thai Prime Minister emphasized Thailand’s carbon neutrality goal by 2050 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2065, with Bhutan offering to share its expertise in green energy.
In the field of education, the two countries discussed student exchange programs, scholarships, and training related to public services.
In healthcare, they agreed to continue cooperation on kidney transplant surgeries and other medical services. The Bhutanese Prime Minister expressed gratitude for Thailand’s support, which has contributed to the success of these projects. -819 (TNA)
