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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Photo: The Economic Times |
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday began a visit to Thailand to strengthen bilateral cooperation, especially in trade, investment, and tourism. Both sides have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and multilateral relations between Southeast Asia and South Asia. The two prime ministers have mapped a framework for a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) which is expected to be signed by the end of this year. 9.2 billion USD is the value of the trade volume between the two countries. Since 2010, 84 trade products have been exempted and this deal will raise bilateral relations to a new level. The Dawei project in Myanmar proposed by Thailand was also discussed in a search for Indian cooperation. Thailand wants to boost this project in order to connect India with other ASEAN countries, as well as to help India fulfill its “Look East” policy.