French PM backs closer Europe-Southeast Asia ties

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Tuesday urged further collaboration between Southeast Asian and European communities to strengthen economic and military stability in both regions during his visit to Thailand, the Thai News Agency reported. In a speech on the French-Thai relationship at Thammasat University in Bangkok, he described rapidly-emerging Southeast Asia as an attractive region for investment, saying the regional community should map out measures to prevent an economic crisis similar to the European Union debacle. Each country should not only shield itself but rather unite to create a larger shield, he said. Ayrault called on the European and Southeast Asian regions to jointly tackle the problems of climate change, the environment and global warming, and prevent profit-taking speculation on natural resources and agricultural produce. The French prime minister is scheduled to meet with his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra at the Government House on Tuesday evening. They will preside over the signing of five agreements on bilateral cooperation in education, defense, public health and research.