July 30, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 19,1423

LAHORE, July 29: The Pakistan-Thailand Economic Commission is due to meetin Bangkok on August 15-16for discussing ways and means to enhance trade and economic ties between the two nations.

This was stated by Thailand’s ambassador to Pakistan Sornsilp Polteja while speaking to businessmen at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) here on Monday.

He said the Pakistani delegation, also having private sector representatives, to the commission’s meeting will be led by finance minister Shaukat Aziz himself.

The Thai envoy said Thailand was pursuing the policy of “look east” and is now focussing on the Asian countries for trade. He said the recent visit of his country’s prime minister and foreign minister to this part of the world indicated that his country had great confidence in Pakistan and looked forward to enhancing trade with it especially in the sectors of rice research, tourism and information technology.

He said the Thai people had little knowledge about Pakistan and he would try to play the “bridge between the two nations for developing good and friendly relations both at the government as well as the people’s level.”

In his address of welcome, LCCI president Dr Khalid Javed Chowdhry said he was hopeful that trade ties between the two nations would flourish in the coming years.

He said the trade volume between the two countries had increased 68 per cent in the last five years. He said Pakistan could meet several import requirements of Thailand, stressing the need for exchange of business delegations from both sides and organization of product exhibitions for enhancing the trade ties.