Russian PM Medvedev set to visit next month
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RUSSIAN Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev will pay an official visit to Thailand on April 7-8, as part of a trip to Southeast Asia.
According to Ambassador Kirill Barsky, the trip aims to boost ties and cooperation in investment, energy, counter-narcotics work, culture and tourism.
“This occasion will be the prologue of the 120th anniversary of Thai-Russia friendship, which will take place in 2017,” the ambassador said.
Medvedev’s trip will be the first official visit by a Russian PM to the Kingdom in 25 years. The last such visit was when premier Nikolai Ryzhkov visited Thailand in 1990.
The two countries established their relationship formally in 1897 when the revered King Chulalongkorn visited the Russian empire. Since then, the two countries have enjoyed a longstanding friendship that spans almost 120 years, which will be celebrated in two years time.
Thailand exports rice, cars and spare parts, radio receivers, televisions and TV components, plus canned and processed fruits to Russia, while importing goods such as iron, steel and crude oil from Russia.
According to the Department of Trade Negotiation at the Ministry of Commerce, Russia and Thailand enjoy trade valued at around Bt4,300 billion between 2009 and 2013. Two-way trade reached Bt4,900 billion (US$150 billion) last year.
