Russia prepared to accommodate Thai investors in Far East - PM
MOSCOW. Nov 5 (Interfax) - Russia is interested in joint transport projects with Thailand in the context of the Eastern Economic Corridor, and is prepared to create attractive conditions for Thai investors in the Russian Far East, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.
There are interesting opportunities in Thailand for joint projects in the area of transport within the context of the Eastern Economic Corridor megaproject, Medvedev said in an interview with the Bangkok Post ahead of a visit to the country to attend the ASEAN business and investment summit and the East Asia Summit.
Russia, for its part, is prepared to create attractive conditions for investors in its Far East, which is closest to Thailand, including in the agriculture sector, Medvedev said.
Although Thailand is primarily known in Russia as a popular tourist destination, relations between the two countries are not limited to tourism, and Thailand is one of Russia's leading trade partners in Southeast Asia, he said.
The two countries are working together to bring bilateral trade up to $10 billion per year, and for this purpose they plan to promote cooperation in high-tech fields such as energy, civil aviation, space research, pharmaceuticals and transport engineering, Medvedev said.
Cooperation in information and communications technology could be promising, particularly joint development of software, including mobile platforms, and cooperation within the context of e-government and smart cities, he said.
There is also strong potential in the development of financial and interbank cooperation, including the use of Mir payment cards in Thailand, which would be convenient for Russians visiting the country and Thai businesses that work with Russian partners, Medvedev said.
He also noted humanitarian cooperation between the two countries and said that the Russian authorities are increasing the number of government scholarships available for Thai students to study at Russian post secondary institutions.