Pranab to visit Thailand, South Korea from Sep 13-18

New Delhi, Sep11 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will visit Thailand and South Korea (September 13-18) to co-Chair the India-Thailand and India-South Korea Joint Commission meetings on strengthening cooperation in diverse fields ranging from defence to development.

On the first leg of his tour, the External Afffairs Minister will travel to Thailand on September 13 where he will co-Chair the Fifth meeting of the Indo-Thailand Joint Commission on September 14. The next day, the Minister will have a meeting with the Heads of Indian Missions in the region.

A host of issues, including cooperation in defence, energy, security, trade and investment, civil aviation, transport, agriculture, science and technology and culture and tourism, will be covered during the discussions, a spokesman for the External Affairs Ministry said here today. T

After the Joint Commission meeting, Mr Mukherjee will have bilateral meetings with Thailand's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. He will also call on the Thai King while the Thai Princess will host a dinner for the Minister.

The External Affairs Minister will also deliver the keynote address on India's Look-East Policy at a seminar. On the second leg of his tour, the External Affairs Minister will visit the Republic of Korea where also, he will co-Chair the Fifth meeting of the India-Republic of Korea Joint Commission. He will also meet the South Korean leadership and have discussions on various matters of bilateral, regional and multi-lateral interest.

This is the first visit by the Minister to the country during the past three years.The Minister will also call on the South Korean President and give an address at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security. ''The visit indicates the forward movement in India-ROK relations since the last visit in 2004,'' the spokesman added.

UNI