Thai PM on Thailand-Nepal relations
It is my great honor to welcome the Right Honorable and the Nepali delegation to Thailand. This visit is truly historic, as it marks the first Official Visit by the Prime Minister of Nepal to Thailand since the establishment of our diplomatic relations 66 years ago.
Thailand and Nepal have enjoyed long-standing and amicable relations, rooted in shared historical and cultural ties. This visit serves as an opportunity for both nations to further strengthen our relations and explore new avenues for cooperation.
The Right Honorable and I just held engaging and extensive discussions on various areas of cooperation. I spoke highly of Nepal’s ability to effectively manage its vast water resources turning them into solid hydropower projects, which contribute significantly to its economic growth.
We discussed the importance of promoting ease of doing business, reducing trade barriers and identifying each other’s comparative advantages. Given our potential to increase trade volume beyond the current 40 million USD, these measures could boost trade and investment, encouraging more Thai businesses to enter and invest in Nepal’s market with confidence.
I would like to also emphasize the importance of connectivity which is key to economic growth. Both of us welcomed the role of Thai airlines in connecting our two peoples through more frequent operations, the resumption and launch of new direct flights from Bangkok to Kathmandu and expansion to Lumbini.
Both sides recognize the importance of people-to-people contact through cultural and tourism cooperation. We welcome the positive growth in tourist numbers between our countries and aim to further enhance collaboration, particularly in spiritual and medical tourism or a joint tourism campaign. Additionally, we acknowledge the contributions of the Thai private sector, including hotel, hospital and airline businesses, to Nepal’s service sector and tourism industry.
Ladies and gentlemen,
A moment ago, The Honorable and I witnessed the signing of 8 important documents which will certainly enhance our collaborations in the areas of tourism, culture, trade, industry, medicine, agriculture and academia.
In addition to our bilateral engagement, I expressed my sincere appreciation to Nepal for supporting Thailand’s chairmanship of BIMSTEC. With continued solidarity among BIMSTEC Member States, we will work together to ensure that BIMSTEC remains a meaningful and relevant organization.
Lastly, on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand. I wish to reaffirm my commitment to further advancing our bilateral and multilateral relations with mutual respect across diverse fields, fostering sustainability, prosperity and happiness of our nations.
Press statement by Mr. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand on the official visit of Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli.
