U.S. says Thailand strong free-trade deal prospect

U.S. says Thailand strong free-trade deal prospect

Jim Wolf, Reuters, Washington

`U.S. President George W. Bush sees Thailand as an excellent
prospect for a free-trade agreement with the United States,
Washington's Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said on
Tuesday.

Zoellick, speaking at a dinner for visiting Thai Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has put Thailand, Indonesia and the
Philippines at the top of his list for free trade negotiations.

"President Bush believes Thailand is a very strong candidate,"
he told the dinner, which was sponsored by the U.S.-ASEAN
Business Council.

Under Bush and Thaksin, "I think that the prospects for
progress are excellent," Zoellick added.

Earlier, Thaksin and Bush agreed Myanmar's military rulers
should immediately free detained pro-democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

The business council promotes trade and investment between the
United States and the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN).

Thaksin told the dinner Thailand was set to sign a "bilateral
zero-tariff" agreement on fruit and vegetables with China.

"We are expecting to sign an FTA (Free Trade Agreement) with
India and Australia within this year" and "hopefully, we might be
able to sign one with Japan as well," he said.

Thaksin said he discussed a free trade agreement with Bush
"and we acknowledged that the FTA would be mutually beneficial."

The United States signed a free trade agreement this year with
Singapore and has signed Trade and Investment Framework
agreements with the Philippines, Indonesia and, most recently,
Thailand.

Washington uses the "framework" pacts to push such issues as
regulatory transparency, the protection of intellectual property
rights and trade facilitation.

Bush will visit Thailand in Oct., when the kingdom hosts a an
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, grouping leaders
of 21 countries from Asia and the Americas.

Trade between the United States and Thailand improved markedly
during the first quarter of 2003. U.S. exports to the kingdom
rose 14 percent, while imports from Thailand rose seven percent,
the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council said.

Thaksin said Thailand, where the Asian economic crisis began
in 1997, would repay next month all of its International Monetary
Fund loans two years ahead of schedule.

"I am certain that Thailand is now back on track," he said.