19.6.16

India & Thailand

India and Thailand agreed to further enhance their partnership in maritime security , defence and counter-terrorism as PM Narendra Modi met his Thai counterpart Gen Prayut Chanocha Friday . This is Prayut's first visit to India since he took over as Prime Minister in 2014 in a coup.
The two countries conveniently gave a miss to the ongoing security scare in South China Sea, preferring to focus more on the Indian Ocean. Thailand is not a party to any of the maritime territorial disputes in South China Sea and has generally avoided taking a position on the issues involved.
“Both sides expressed a keen interest in enhancing cooperation in maritime domain including anti-piracy cooperation, security of sea lanes of communication including coast guard cooperation to maintain peace and ensure safety and security of navigation in the Indian Ocean,'' said the joint statement.
Still struggling to seek legitimacy from the West, Prayut, who is yet to keep his promise to hold elections, has worked to build ties with China and his visit to India too is being seen in that context. Modi also announced that the Indian Constitution will soon be translated into Thai language.

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