Thailand and South Korea on Monday agreed to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and pursue further talks to elevate their strategic partnership, according to Defence Ministry spokesman Gen Kongcheep Tantravanich.
The issues were raised at a meeting between Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and South Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook at the Defence Ministry.
He said Mr Suh thanked Thailand for supporting the upgrade of South Korean-Asean cooperation at the Asean Defence Ministers' meeting which covered its efforts to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and cybersecurity cooperation among others.
The South Korean minister expressed hopes that Thailand and South Korea would pursue further talks to strengthen the two countries' strategic partnership at international forums when the Covid-19 situation improved, said Gen Kongcheep.
Gen Prayut, meanwhile, praised South Korea for pushing ahead with defence cooperation with Asean and pledged to support action plans for a deeper strategic partnership.
The premier thanked South Korea for investing in the Eastern Economic Corridor scheme while expressing hopes that both countries would consolidate economic and defence cooperation.
Mr Suh, who was on an official visit to Thailand as a guest of the Defence Ministry, was scheduled to visit a monument dedicated to Korean War veterans at the 21st Infantry Regiment in Chon Buri and the 4th Wing of the air force in Nakhon Sawan where T-50TH advanced trainer jets purchased from South Korea are presently deployed.
Meanwhile, Thailand and the Maldives on Monday vowed to deepen bilateral ties and expand trade, investment and tourism cooperation, according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.
The commitment was reaffirmed at a meeting between Gen Prayut and Mohamed Jinah, Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives in Thailand, who paid a courtesy call on the prime minister at Government House.
Gen Prayut said that economic cooperation between Thailand and the Maldives was growing and Thai investors were starting to expand their interests.