EAM Jaishankar congratulates newly appointed Thailand’s counterpart Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara

Speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and leadership, Jaishankar said that it is an enormous fortune for the nation to have him as the Prime Minister at this time.

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday congratulated Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara on his appointment as the new Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of Thailand.

The EAM said he looks forward to working with Parnpree to strengthen India-Thailand bilateral ties and regional cooperation.

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“Congratulate Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara on his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. Look forward to working closely together to strengthen and further develop our bilateral ties and regional cooperation,” the EAM wrote on X formerly Twitter on Tuesday.

Thailand’s new government officially took office on Tuesday. This comes four months after the country’s general election.

The country’s new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin led his Cabinet’s 34 members to take their oaths of office in front of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Srettha, who represents the Pheu Thai party, was named as the prime minister on August 22.

The new Cabinet’s six members hold the deputy prime minister jobs. Phumtham Wechayachai and Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara of Pheu Thai were appointed the ministers of commerce and foreign affairs, respectively.

PM Modi on Wednesday congratulated Srettha Thavisin on being elected as Thailand’s Prime Minister.

The PM said he looks forward to working with Thavisin to take India-Thailand bilateral relations to a higher level.

“Heartiest congratulations @Thavisin on your election as the Prime Minister of Thailand. I look forward to working closely with you for taking India-Thailand bilateral relations to a higher level,” PM Modi tweeted on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, EAM Jaishankar recently spoke on India-Thailand relations and said that trade between the two countries is close to USD 18 billion annually and it was the highest in the last year.

Jaishankar was addressing the Indian diaspora while on his visit to Thailand to participate in the 12th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism on July 16, 2023.

“Today our trade is close to 18 billion dollars annually and last year it was the highest ever trade…I believe given the growth in India if you look at the major economies of the world today there are not major economies growing above five per cent…,” EAM Jaishankar said in Thailand while interacting with the Indian community.

Speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s vision and leadership, Jaishankar said that it is an enormous fortune for the nation to have him as the Prime Minister at this time.

“I feel it’s been an enormous good fortune of the country to have someone like him at this time. I am not saying this because he is the PM and I am a cabinet member…He is enormously visionary and grounded; honestly, such people come once in a lifetime,” Jaishankar said.

“For us, this is not just a relation but a relation that is associated with reform and change in India…When PM Modi took charge as PM the Look East policy became an act and it wasn’t only a terminology. After 2014 our connectivity, defence & security relations, economic engagement and our community have grown…,” Jaishankar added.