India, Thailand agree on energy, investment

India, Thailand agree on energy, investment

NEW DELHI (DPA): India and Thailand signed two agreements Monday on the peaceful use of nuclear energy and investment promotion and protection.

The agreements were signed by visiting Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan and his Indian counterpart Jaswant Singh.

The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on developments in the South Asian and Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) regions and fighting terrorism.

They also discussed cooperation in the information technology sector.

The two sides agreed to hold periodic meetings of senior officials to review and monitor implementation of their agreements.

Later addressing a meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Surin called for increased cooperation between India and Thailand in the fields of computer hardware and software, e-commerce, agriculture, construction and tourism.

He said the close collaboration of the two nations in the information technology field could help them "to become digital partners who can provide bundles of high quality computers and software for the global marketplace".

Surin said in the field of agriculture, the two countries could combine their cost-effective and experience labor force "to be food providers for the whole world".

Offering to help India improve its infrastructural sector, Surin said they could also cooperate to tap their tourism potential.

Trade between the two countries was only US$800 million as against a target of $2 billion, Thai Board of Trade President Vichien Tejapaiboon told the CII meeting.

Vichien said his board has carried out surveys which indicated that the two countries could increase trade in the areas of tourism, software, textiles, marine foods, agricultural produce, construction and shipping.