Pakistani president urges closer trade, economic ties with Thailand

The President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday urged for translating the cordial relationship between Pakistan and Thailand into a substantive partnership in areas of trade, defence, education, science and technology and tourism, said an official press release. The Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra met the Pakistani President at the President House during her two-day official visit to Pakistan. Earlier, Pakistan and Thailand inked an agreement and two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to ease visa requirements for diplomats, establish joint trade committees and a joint business council to further strengthen trade and economic ties between the two countries. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif and her Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra witnessed the inking of the agreement and MoUs at the PM house after a round of bilateral talks that covered the whole range of issues between the two countries. According to the press release, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Jullapong Nonsrichai inked the Agreement on Mutual Exemption of Visa Requirements for holders of diplomatic passports. Moreover, Pakistan's Minister of State and Thai Deputy Minister of Commerce inked the MoU on establishment of a Joint Trade Committee for Privatisation. President FPCCI and Chairman Board of Trade of Thailand signed a MoU on establishment of Joint Business Council. The Thai Premier on Wednesday also toured iconic places of Pakistan's capital city Islamabad including Faisal Mosque and Shakarparian Hills before concluding her two-day visit. She was briefed about the historic scriptures of the Holy Quran in Faisal Mosque that is conceived as the National Mosque of Pakistan and named after the late King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who supported and financed the project.