New Delhi: India will hold wide-ranging talks with Thailand and Singapore on the
fight against terrorism, ways to further strengthen economic co-operation and issues
relating to Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the six-day visit
of Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani as part of the 'Look East' policy.
Advani, who leaves for Thailand on January 30, would meet Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra and Deputy Prime Minister and Law Minister Wissan Kreya-Ngam during his
three-day stay in that country.
Security-related issues including the campaign against terror and steps to enhance
the over $ one billion trade between India and Thailand as also creating a free
trade zone would top the agenda of Advani's talks, official sources said.
New Delhi has also been discussing with Bangkok a treaty for mutual legal assistance
and transfer of convicted offenders besides ways to combat drug trafficking and
smuggling of arms.
The sources, however, said no agreements would be signed during the Deputy Prime
Minister's visits to Thailand and Singapore.
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had visited Singapore in April last year and had
met Thai leaders during a brief stop over at Bangkok in November last while
returning from Laos.
Advani is being accompanied by a six-member official delegation, including Home
Secretary N Gopalaswami and OSD to the Deputy Prime Minister Ajay Prasad.
Advani, who would reach Singapore on February 2 after visiting the Thai tourist
resort of Phuket, would meet President S R Nathan, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong,
Home Minister Wong Kan Seng and Trade Minister George Yeo on February 4.
Bilateral trade, the ASEAN Summit in Bali in October and security issues would find
focus in Advani's parleys with the Singaporean leadership.
While Singapore is a major investor in India from the South East Asian region,
Thailand has 26 joint venture projects with Indian companies.
Singapore had a couple of months ago busted a major al-Qaida network, which had
plans to create terror there and hit the city economically.
Thailand has been a base for North Eastern insurgent groups and criminals, who have
so far been using that country as a base after having fled India.
Advani would also be meeting members of the Indian community in both countries. He
would return on February 5.
PTI
