Chile is looking for ways to promote closer ties with Thailand in terms of culture and education, as well as boost trade, the country's president said in Bangkok on Thursday.
Speaking at Chulalongkorn University on the topic of "Chile, Latin America and Asia Relations: Future Prospects" held in conjunction with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font said his country only has a rudimentary grasp of Thai culture and is keen to foster deeper relations.
"We do not know much about Thailand. I know that Thailand has around 70 million people. The only thing we know is pad thai or what happened in the 2004 tsunami. So, the first thing to strengthen our relationship is learning more about the [respective] culture of the two countries," he said.
He said he was glad to learn that Chile's ambassador to Thailand will introduce literature and poems translated into Thai so people here can also learn more about Chilean culture.
He suggested the two sides should seek more cultural and education agreements, such as launching student, teacher or cultural exchange programmes.
"This is another way to strengthen our partnerships, not just only by trade or commerce. We are enriched with natural resources such as copper, lithium and manganese. We can become a hub or door for Asian countries to explore more opportunities in Latin and South America," he said.
"We want to go deeper on trade, but we want to focus on other things as well. We would like to know what you think about democracy or Thai people's lives. I would like to invite Thai students and teachers to our country," he added.
He also highlighted student movements that were important for social change and democracy. As a former student activist, he suggested the younger generation should not take democracy for granted.
"Democracy is not about voting every four or five years. It is about believing that your opinion and your organisation are actually making a difference."
