(CTN News) — Thailand and New Zealand have agreed to resume direct flights after the pandemic disrupted aviation connectivity, and officials promise to quadruple bilateral trade over the next two decades.
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said at a joint press conference with his counterpart Christopher Luxon in Bangkok on Wednesday that the two countries will prioritize visa facilitation to achieve their goals of 100,000 New Zealanders visiting Thailand and 40,000 Thai tourists visiting New Zealand by next year.
In a joint statement, the two prime ministers committed to strengthening economic cooperation and promoting bilateral trade and investment in areas of mutual expertise and interest.
Strengthening Economic Ties between Thailand and New Zealand
The presidents are looking forward to tariff-free entry for all Thai and New Zealand imports beginning January 1. They observed that bilateral commerce has more than tripled in the 20 years since the two nations inked an economic partnership agreement.
According to the Thai leader, Srettha and Luxon agreed to enhance diplomatic relations between the two countries to a Strategic Partnership “in 2026 or sooner”. The two presidents also agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating organized crime, particularly human and drug trafficking.
Business delegations from both nations also met at the government residence under the leadership of the two prime ministers, intending to rapidly expand the bilateral economic connection.
The two presidents expressed their excitement over the tariff-free entry for all Thai and New Zealand imports, which will go into effect on January 1. They also stated that they had agreed to further facilitate visas between Thailand and New Zealand and to restore direct flights that had been suspended following the outbreak.
Before the news conference, the prime ministers presided over the signing of two agreements to strengthen cooperation in education and aircraft supply, repair, and maintenance.
The situation in neighboring Myanmar was also addressed. Srettha stated that Thailand is closely monitoring the current situation on its northern border, where the crucial Myanmar town of Myawaddy recently fell to forces battling the military, who seized control in 2021.
