INTERVIEW OF OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN FOR RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY A. YAKOVENKO ON THE EVE OF RUSSIAN VISIT BY THAI FOREIGN MINISTER SURAKIART SATHIRATHAI

1930-27-09-2002

QUESTION: Could you please comment on the current Russo-Thai relations on the eve of the Russian visit by Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai starting on September 29th?

ANSWER: Cooperation with Thailand is a priority course of Russia's policy in South-East Asia and in the Asia-Pacific region on the whole.

Russia and Thailand have enjoyed traditionally friendly contacts for 105 years already. Bilateral relations are characterised by a high level of mutual trust, while the two countries' approaches to solving major international and regional problems are close or coincide.

Russian-Thai cooperation is a significant aspect of consolidation of stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region.

The visit by Mr Sathirathai will be of particular significance in developing bilateral relations on a mutually advantageous basis in the light of a Russian visit by the Thai Prime Ministry coming in mid-October this year. It will enable the countries to continue a constructive dialogue on the key global and regional problems and enhance cooperation on the international arena.

QUESTION: What are the most acute issues on the agenda of the political dialogue between Moscow and Bangkok?

ANSWER: The fight against international terrorism and other global challenges will be the priorities at the negotiations between I.S. Ivanov and S. Sathirathai. They are expected to discuss such issues as consolidation of comprehensive peace, international and regional security, disarmament with the emphasis laid on a possibility to strengthen multilateral regimes of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the role of the UN, settlement in the Middle East, the situation on the Korean peninsula and around Iraq as well as some other issues.

The situation in the Asian-Pacific region, the boosting of Russia's cooperation with the ASEAN and the ASEAN Regional Forum will be central to the meeting. The sides will discuss bilateral cooperation within the APEC. We are ready for constructive cooperation within working bodies and programmes of the Forum.

QUESTION: Could you comment on cooperation between Russia and Thailand in the economic and other spheres and on the prospects for its development?

ANSWER: While considering the whole complex of bilateral relations, the sides will attach particular significance to diversification and enrichment of forms of mutually advantageous cooperation. We would favour further acceleration of political contacts at all levels. We believe that conditions are favourable now to step up cooperation in the trade-economic sphere (in 2001 bilateral trade made up $410 million), in the field of science and technology, establishment of cooperation in the military-technical and other spheres.

The joint Russo-Thai commission on bilateral cooperation is playing a key role in this sphere. In April 2002 the commission held its third session.

The negotiators will also touch upon issues of extending the legal-contractual base of Russo-Thai relations.

The Russian side is confident that the coming negotiations will give a new impetus to the development of contacts between Russia and Thailand both in bilateral dimensions and on the global scale.

Bilateral relations

RUSSIA-THAILAND RELATIONS

Diplomatic relations with Thailand (Siam) were established during King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)’s visit to St Petersburg on July 3, 1897. Diplomatic relations were suspended in 1917 and normalised in 1941. In December 1991, the Thai Government recognised Russia as a sovereign state – the USSR’s legal successor.

Political dialogue has been developing dynamically. In 2003, President of Russia Vladimir Putin paid a state visit to Thailand, timed to coincide with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok. In 2007, Queen Sirikit paid a return state visit on behalf of the King of Thailand to Russia. Our country was visited by other members of the royal family – Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (1993), Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (1989, 2007, 2008), Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol (2011, 2012).

Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra visited Russia in 2002 and 2006. In September 2012, President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Vladivostok. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev held talks with his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-o-cha during the Ninth East Asia Summit in Naypyidaw (Myanmar) in November 2014 and during the APEC summit in Manila (the Philippines) in November 2015.

In April 2015, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Thailand. In May 2016, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha paid a return official visit to Russia, during which he held talks with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (St Petersburg) and had a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Russia-ASEAN summit in Sochi.

Regular contacts have been maintained between Russian and Thai ministries and agencies. In February 2016, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak were in Russia on a joint working visit, during which they met with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. In 2004, 2009 and in August 2017, the Foreign Minister of Russia paid official visits to Thailand. The foreign ministers of Thailand came to Moscow on working visits in March 2013 and July 2015. The ministers also met on the sidelines of APEC events in Indonesia in October 2013.

Inter-parliamentary cooperation has been established. The President of the National Assembly (Senate) of Thailand visited Russia in 2009 as well as in 2013. The speakers of the upper houses of the Russian and Thai parliaments met during the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum in 2010 and 2013. A delegation of the Group of Friendship with Russia in the Thai parliament visited Russia in 2012 and 2013. In November 2016, a delegation of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly headed by Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State-Building Andrey Klishas arrived in Bangkok to leave a message in the book of condolences and lay a wreath, following the death of King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej (October 13, 2016) . Mr Klishas met with First Vice President of the National Assembly of Thailand (NAT) Surachai Leangboonleodchai. In March 2017, delegations of the NAT committees on international affairs and energy paid fact -finding visits to Russia.

In 2016, trade turnover between Russia and Thailand amounted to $1,762,700 million (down by 14.1 percent, compared with 2015), Russian exports stood at $616,000 million (up by 9.8 percent), imports by $1,146,700 million (a decrease of 23.1 percent). The Russian exports were dominated by mineral products (45.2 percent), machinery and equipment (17.4 percent), metals and metal products (16.6 percent). The main items of the Russian imports included machinery and equipment (55.1 percent), chemical products (19.9 percent), food products and agricultural raw materials (11.2 percent).

In 1993, the Joint Russian-Thai Commission on Bilateral Cooperation was set up. In July 2015, it held its sixth session in Moscow. Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov is the Commission’s Co-Chairman from Russia. In April 2017, the Sub-Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation held its third meeting in Bangkok.

Cooperation in security and defence has been making stable progress. In February 2016, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev paid a working visit to Thailand. In May 2017, the Russian-Thai Working Group on Security Cooperation held its third meeting in Moscow. In December 2016 and May 2017, Russian Pacific Fleet squadrons paid unofficial visits to Thailand’s main naval base of Sattahip.

Cultural ties have been expanding. At present, around 200 Thai students are receiving education at Russian universities. Thirty-four state grants for Thai citizens have been set aside for the 2017-2018 academic year. In September 2016, the Russian capital hosted the Third Festival of Thai Culture. Actors from the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre and the Helikon Opera Theatre took part in the 18^th Bangkok International Festival of Dance and Music (September 2016). The prospect of opening a Russian centre of science and culture in Bangkok is also being considered.

2017 marks a remarkable date for the Russian-Thai relations – the 120^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. A vast programme of anniversary events is being carried out, one of which was a Russian-Thai festival in Bangkok in July 2017 with Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai attending the opening ceremony.

In 2016, 1.1 million Russian tourists visited Thailand. There are Russian consulates in Pattaya and Phuket and Thai consulates in St Petersburg and Vladivostok.

THE KINGDOM OF THAILAND

THE KINGDOM OF THAILAND

General information: Thailand (until 1939 and between 1945-1949 – Siam) is situated in Southeast Asia (occupies part of the Indochinese and Malay peninsulas). Area: 513,000 square kilometres. Capital: Bangkok (over 9 million). Population: 69,000 million. Official language: Thai. Main religion: Buddhism (Buddhists account for around 94 percent of the population). The second largest religion: Islam (5 percent of the population, mostly in southern provinces). The country has three calendars: Gregorian, Buddhist (from 543 BC to the present day, the year 2016 corresponds to 2559) and the Rattanakosin calendar (from the foundation of Bangkok and the Chakri dynasty – 1782).

Political system: Constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the King. After the death, on October 13, 2016, of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), who ruled the country for 70 years, his son Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) succeeded to the throne on December 1, 2016. After the late monarch's cremation on October 22, 2017, the coronation ceremony will follow.

On May 22, 2014, a military coup took place in Thailand. On July 22, 2014, the interim main law was passed. In August 2016, the proposed draft new Constitution won approval during a nationwide referendum. Executive authority is exercised by the interim government formed on August 31, 2014 (in August 2015, a cabinet reshuffle was carried out) and headed by General Prayut Chan-o-cha. Foreign Minister: Don Pramudwinai. Legislative authority is exercised, starting from August 8, 2016, by the unicameral National Legislative Assembly (President – Pompech Wichitcholchai). General parliamentary elections are due to take place in the second half of 2018. Highest judicial body: Supreme Court. President of the Supreme Court: Weerapon Thongsuwan. The Armed Forces have more than one million servicemen.

The situation remains tense in the southern provinces dominated by Malay Muslims. Separatist groups regularly commit terrorist acts in which over 6,500 people have been killed since 2004.

Economy: In 2016, GDP growth was 3.2 percent. The share of industrial production in GDP fell from 44 percent to 36 percent, while agricultural production dropped from 12 percent to 9 percent. The sphere of services has increased from 44 percent to 55 percent. Inflation stands at 1.5 percent. Unemployment: 0.99 percent. Gold and currency reserves: 34.1 percent of GDP. External debt: 44.4 percent of GDP. National currency unit – baht ($1 = 34 bahts). In 2016, Thailand's foreign trade turnover stood at $410 billion (exports – $215.3 billion, imports – $194.7 billion). Key trade partners: the United States, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore. The share of Russia in Thailand's overall foreign trade turnover decreased from 0.57 percent (in 2015) to 0.46 percent in 2016.

Foreign policy: Thailand is a UN member state since 1946. It was one of the founders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967. Diplomatic priorities: Cooperation with neighbouring countries, participation in regional integration processes, above all within the ASEAN framework. Thailand is the initiator of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (Thailand has been holding ACD presidency since September 2015), participant in East Asia summits, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forums, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and Group of 77. The Kingdom has observer status in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (since 2000). After the military coup (2014), the United States and the European Union imposed restrictions on political contacts with Bangkok. In these circumstances, the Thai Government is developing closer ties with its ASEAN partners, China, Russia and India.

Thailand has diplomatic relations with 131 states.