Vice-President Hamid Ansari was on 5 days two-nation tour to Thailand and Brunei for enhancing bilateral relations by holding talks with the head of governments, political leaders and Indian diaspora.
Visit to Brunei
On the invitation of Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, he visited Brunei for three days. There he discussed issues related to bilateral, regional and multilateral significance and also hold discussions on cooperation in ASEAN and East Asia Summit (EAS).
3 agreements have been signed between the two nations:
- Defence Cooperation – To enhance and expand the scope of already existing Defence Cooperation in the form of naval ship visits, training of senior military officers and exchange of experience.
- Health Cooperation – To establish cooperation by means of pooling technical, scientific, financial and human resources and pharmaceutical regulatory practices.
- Youth Affairs & Sports Cooperation – To facilitate exchange of expertise in coaching, sports Management and Administration, sports talent identification and exchange of information in the field of youth Affairs.
He also met the Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah.
Visit to Thailand
On the invitation of Thailand PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, he visited Thailand for 2 days. There he had a one-to-one meeting with Thai Prime Minister. This was the first visit by an Indian Vice-President to Thailand after a gap of 50 years.
- He delivered a speech at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University on the topic “India, Thailand and ASEAN: Contours of a Rejuvenated Relationship”.
- He visited Wat Phra Kew (Emerald Buddha) and Reclining Buddha temple in Bangkok.
- As a part of security cooperation he confirmed India’s participation in the Cobra Gold 2016 amphibious military exercise that will be held in Thailand.
Thailand is an important partner for the 3,200 km IMT (India-Myanmar-Thailand) Highway that will connect Northeast India with Southeast Asian industrial zones.
Keys:
Thailand Capital – Bangkok
Brunei Capital – Bandar Seri Begawan
Thailand Currency – Thai baht
Brunei Currency – Brunei dollar
