NEWS - Thai Deputy PM Visits Myanma

[Rangoonp@xxxxxxx]

Subject: NEWS - Thai Deputy PM Visits Myanmar

NOTE: Shouldn't the ties be strenghtened with the Elected government ???

Thai Deputy PM Visits Myanmar

               Xinhua
               29-JUL-99

               YANGON (July 29) XINHUA - Thai Deputy Prime Minister
               Bhichai Rattakul arrived here Thursday evening on a
               goodwill visit to Myanmar to strengthen ties between the
two
               countries. 

               Bhichai is paying the visit at the invitation of
               Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the
               Myanmar State Peace and Development Council (SPDC),
               official Radio Myanmar reported Thursday night. 

               Bhichai is expected to have talks with Myanmar government
               leaders on bilateral issues including trade, investment
and
               economic cooperation as well as drug control. 

               In March this year, Myanmar SPDC Chairman and Prime
               Minister Senior-General Than Shwe visited Thailand,
during
               which Myanmar and Thai prime ministers vowed to further
               enhance cooperation in the fight against narcotic drugs,
               stressing the need for regional and international
cooperation
               in the fight. 

               Thailand is one of Myanmar's major trading partners in
Asia.
               The two countries' bilateral trade stood at 441.97
million U.S.
               dollars in 1998 with Thailand enjoying a huge trade
surplus
               of 255.9 million dollars. 

               Thailand also ranked the third in Myanmar's foreign
               investment line-up after Singapore and Britain with 1.24
               billion dollars out of 7.1 billion dollars' total foreign
               investment at the end of 1998.