Prayut's trip to US postponed but strategic dialogue on course

Prayut's trip to US postponed but strategic dialogue on course

white house invitation: Gen Prayut's planned trip to the US remains on the cards.
white house invitation: Gen Prayut's planned trip to the US remains on the cards.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's planned visit to the United States this month has been postponed but both sides insist it will go ahead at a later date.

A government source said Gen Prayut's US visit, tentatively set for July 19, has been postponed. This is because both sides need more time to consider the framework of discussion before the Thai leader's trip can go ahead.

In a phone conversation in April, Mr Trump reportedly invited Gen Prayut to the White House on an official visit.

However, both sides confirmed that the planned trip remains on the cards.

Government spokesman Werachon Sukondhapatipak said Gen Prayut's planned trip to the US has not been revoked as speculated.

Thailand's Defence Ministry and Foreign Ministry will hold a Strategic Dialogue with their US counterparts this Friday. The prime minister's trip and relevant issues will be considered after the meeting.

Lt Gen Werachon said he could not confirm whether Gen Prayut's visit to the US would be able to take place this month.

The US embassy responded to the Bangkok Post over the issue that President Trump's invitation to Gen Prayut has not been revoked.

During his call to Gen Prayut on April 30, President Trump affirmed his country's commitment to the long-standing alliance with Thailand, which actively contributes to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We look forward to the prime minister's visit to Washington. We continue to work closely with our Thai allies on finding a mutually agreeable date for the prime minister's visit to the White House," the embassy said.

Next week in Washington, the US will host the 6th US-Thailand Strategic Dialogue, last held in December 2015.

The Strategic Dialogue is a sign of continued commitment to expanding the US-Thai partnership and will cover the full range of political, security and economic cooperation with Thailand, the embassy said.

Last month the cabinet secretariat office issued a circular to relevant ministries, calling on the ministries to prepare details of Thai-US economic cooperation and investment for Gen Prayut's official US visit, which was slated for July.

Mr Trump's informal invitation to Gen Prayut and some other Asean leaders is seen as his attempt to reach out to US allies in Asia, seeking their cooperation in containing the threats of North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.

It marks a promising reversal from the cool diplomacy pursued by then president Barack Obama after the 2014 coup, and which is still maintained by the US State Department.

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