MELBOURNE: Australia and Thailand have agreed to strenghthen ties, stepping up cooperation on defence and crime-fighting and looking to increase trade, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday.
Mr Morrison and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha agreed to step up the two countries' relationship to a "Strategic Partnership".
"In view of the evolving strategic shifts in the region, through this Strategic Partnership we will enhance cooperation in key areas, including defence and security, cyber affairs, anti-money laundering and combating transnational crime," Mr Morrison said.
The announcement came ahead of a virtual Asean-East Asia Summit and a virtual Asean-Australia summit this weekend.
Thailand is one of Australia's top 10 trading partners.
"Our trading relationship will grow even more important as both countries recover from the Covid-19 pandemic," Mr Morrison said.