PM leaves to attend ASEM meeting in Finland

BANGKOK, Sept 9 (TNA) – Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra left here Saturday to attend a two-day summit of the sixth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), starting from Sunday (September 10) in the Finnish capital of Helsinki.

Mr. Thaksin is scheduled to make an official stopover at Tajikistan and confer with Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov before proceeding to Helsinki.

Speaking to a media pool, Mr. Thaksin said he would discuss global and regional situations with fellow leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and those of China, Japan and South Korea, ASEAN's three key dialogue partners in East Asia, as well as trade and investment problems between Asia and Europe.

Mr. Thaksin said he was given an honour to deliver a closing speech, as Thailand was the host of the first ASEM meeting.

He said that he would speak on globalization, and that he would focus on urging developed countries with wide experience in information and communication technology (ICT) to assist developing countries to have access to the knowledge at low cost.

Other major issues in Mr. Thaksin's speech include free trade, trade barriers and opportunities for workers from developing countries to work in developed countries with fair treament, he said.

Asked what he expected as the outcome of this meeting, Mr. Thaksin said European countries now attach more importance to Asian nations, a sharp contrast from 1997 and 1998 when countries in the region were hit by financial crisis.

"We (Asian countries) have to have more penetration of the European market; so we must ask for fair subsidies for their farmers," he said.

Mr. Thaksin said he expects the European leaders to also focus on negotiations under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which have stalled and many countries are now starting to hold hold direct bilateral trade talks as they are easier to conclude.

The Thai leader said he would also confer with some European and Asian leaders regarding their support for Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, who is contesting the post of secretary general of the United Nations, which will be vacated late this year by incumbent Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The prime minister is scheduled to arrive home early next Tuesday (September 12) and will then chair the cabinet's weekly meeting at Government House.

TNA