THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Ceasfire, visa exemption key to bilateral trade

Ceasfire, visa exemption key to bilateral trade

National reconciliation and a visa-free agreement will be crucial to boosting bilateral trade and investment, said a Thai official.

Chainarong Keratiyutwong, Minister/Deputy Chief of Mission at the Royal Thai Embassy, said in an exclusive interview with Myanmar Eleven that national reconciliation plays a pivotal role in improving border trade and attracting Thai business people to invest in the neighbouring country.

"If you get a stable political climate along the border, we can make a move. Our people can cross and put a lot of investments along the border. If you have a good atmosphere in the country, it will help Thailand’s economy as well because Thai people really like to invest in Myanmar," said Chainarong.

To attract more investments from Thailand, Myanmar must speed up its peace-building efforts and ensure that there will be no more fighting between the Tatmadaw and ethnic insurgents along the Myanmar-Thai border, he insisted.

"I hope that in the next few months the ceasefire accord can be signed. That will be a good indicator," said Chainarong.

The Embassy official praised the Thein Sein administration for the success of the SEA Games, in which a lot of performers were used to represent the minority groups as an effort to strengthen national reconciliation.

Chainarong added that the legal framework which can attract more foreign direct investments are now under the consideration of Parliament.

"We always encourage investors and businessmen to come here. What they need to do is if they cannot make the decision right now, they should come and see. Finally, at the right time, they should come in with the capital," said the minister.

He pointed out that a visa-free agreement is needed for improving bilateral ties.

On the negotiations for the visa exemptions, the minister said, "We already said it is OK for those who travel by air. The Myanmar side said ‘No, we want all - by land, by sea, also.’ If I were Myanmar, I will accept the visa-free (agreement) for those who travel by air first. Then I will renegotiate it to have the people who travel by land, by sea later. But they said no."

He guessed that the visa-free agreement between the two countries may take a few months to take into effect as it needs to wait until the new government takes office.

Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin told Myanmar Eleven in an earlier interview that Myanmar is ready to renegotiate the visa-exemption agreement with Thailand.

"In the recent months, Thailand had to emphasise more important issues than the agreement due to its political instability. I believe that we will be able to resume talks on the visa exemption and sign the agreement in the near future," he said, adding that all the member states have agreed to approve the visa exemption, which will lead to travelling from one Asean country to another without any visa.

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