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Singapore, Thailand enjoy excellent relations: Singaporean FM
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-08-01 19:48
Singapore and Thailand have been enjoying excellent relations in various
aspects since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two
countries 40 years ago, Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo said here on
Monday.
Speaking at the opening of the seventh Coordinating Meeting of the
Thailand-Singapore Civil Service Exchange Program (CSEP), Yeo said that the two
sides "share common goals in the integration of the region and in opening their
economies to new opportunities" under the framework of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"At the regional level, we work together to spur intra-ASEAN cooperation...
Our cooperation auger well for our two countries and the region as a whole," Yeo
noted.
The bilateral trade between the two countries increased by 20 percent,
reaching 24 billion Singapore dollars (about 14 billion US dollars) last year as
compared with the previous year, which made Thailand Singapore's seventh largest
trading partner in 2004.
Yeo also said that the fast-developing low cost carriers in the region has
helped boost interaction between peoples of the two countries as well as enhance
the understanding and respect for each other's cultures and societies.
Describing globalization as both challenge and opportunity, Yeo stressed that
Singapore and Thailand should ride the wave generated by the rapid growth of
China and India, and respond intelligently to the changing international
environment.
Started in 1997, CSEP provides a platform for the civil services of the two
countries to exchange personnel and experience on a regular basis, especially in
the education sector.
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