BANGKOK, Aug 2: Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz stressed the need for strengthening bilateral economic cooperation in various fields between Pakistan and Thailand.

He was talking to Thai electronic and print media persons at Pakistan embassy here to project Pakistan economic policies.

He said that prospects are very bright, which is evident from the current trend in which trade volume has almost doubled during the last three years. The economic potential between the two countries are much higher, he added.

He told the media that the joint economic commission between Thailand and Pakistan, which held its 2nd session in August last year could play a vital role in exploiting the potential.

He identified areas such as tourism, real estate and infrastructure for joint venture investment. He underscored the need to bring the private sectors in close contact with each other with each other with government support.

The minister said that his conviction about the bright prospects in tourism was based on the fact that Pakistan has immense tourism potential whereas Thailand is a success story in tourism.

He drew attention to the Buddhist relics of Taxila, Taxila University and the northern areas of Pakistan which possessed a large number of Buddhist remnants in the feet of the great mountain ranges of Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindu Kush.

Thailand could help Pakistan by including Pakistani tourist sites in the tour programmes of those visiting Thailand. He hinted that Pakistan would be forthcoming in investments from Thailand in the tourism sector.—APP