Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Khmer envoy is the first to congratulate Yingluck

You Ay, the Cambodian ambassador to Thailand, on Tuesday became the first foreign envoy to meet and congratulate the newly-endorsed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The envoy was among eight ambassadors lining up to meet the first female prime minister of Thailand at the Pheu Thai Party headquarters.

You Ay also presented to Yingluck official congratulatory notes from Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong.

The ambassador was quoted as telling the PM that both countries should separate political conflicts from economic cooperation and that they should strengthen all aspects of cooperation.
Yingluck told You Ay that her policy would create peace and reconciliation between the two countries and that the countries would cooperate more under the framework of Asean and Asean Economic Cooperation.

Under the government of Yingluck's predecessor Abhisit Vejjajiva, Thailand and Cambodia have had rocky relations on all issues, with border conflicts escalating several times into clashes resulting in deaths of both soldiers and civilians.

However relations between Cambodia and Yingluck's brother, convicted exPM Thaksin, are much better. Cambodia's PM Hun Sen once appointed the exiled Thaksin as his government's economic adviser. Abhisit government was furious and ordered withdrawal of its Thai and Khmer ambassadors and downgraded diplomatic ties.

After You Ay, it was turn of Indonesian ambassador Mohammad Hatta who read out congratulatory message from his President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Thailand and Indonesia have enjoyed strong relations and cooperation for a long time and last year celebrated the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. Hatta also said his president is looking forward to meeting Yingluck at the Asean Summit to be held in Bali in November.
Indonesia would like to invite Yingluck to make an official visit to the country, Hatta said.
After that Yingluck met with the ambassadors of Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Chile and Panama.

No comments: