India, Thailand will fight terrorism together: PM Modi
Highlighting that India and Thailand have agreed to “deepen defense and maritime ties”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the two countries will fight the menace of terrorism together.
“There will be joint cooperation between the two countries to fight terrorism and beyond terrorism we have agreed to forge a closer partnership in the fields of defence and maritime cooperation,” Modi said at the luncheon hosted for Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha who is on a three-day state visit to India.
“Today (Friday), PM (Chan-o-Cha) and I reviewed the full range of our bilateral engagement, from culture to commerce, connectivity and security cooperation. We recognize that our close security partnership would help us to secure our peoples from these threats,” Modi said.
Vowing to improve economic ties as well, PM Modi welcomed the first meeting of a joint business forum to be held later in the day and identified infrastructure, IT, pharma and machinery as areas of collaboration.
Industry bodies Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India will hold a business event, where the first India-Thailand business forum will be established.
In a bid to woo more tourists from Thailand, Modi said a double entry e-tourist visa will be facilitated soon.
About 10 lakh Indian tourists visit Thailand every year while about one lakh tourists from Thailand come to India.
Visiting India on PM Modi's invitation, Chan-o-cha will be accompanied by his wife, his deputy prime minister and five other cabinet ministers, a 46-member business delegation and senior officials.
