QUESTION: Could you please comment on the current Russo-Thai relations on the eve of the Russian visit by Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai starting on September 29th?

ANSWER: Cooperation with Thailand is a priority course of Russia's policy in South-East Asia and in the Asia-Pacific region on the whole.

Russia and Thailand have enjoyed traditionally friendly contacts for 105 years already. Bilateral relations are characterised by a high level of mutual trust, while the two countries' approaches to solving major international and regional problems are close or coincide.

Russian-Thai cooperation is a significant aspect of consolidation of stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region.

The visit by Mr Sathirathai will be of particular significance in developing bilateral relations on a mutually advantageous basis in the light of a Russian visit by the Thai Prime Ministry coming in mid-October this year. It will enable the countries to continue a constructive dialogue on the key global and regional problems and enhance cooperation on the international arena.

QUESTION: What are the most acute issues on the agenda of the political dialogue between Moscow and Bangkok?

ANSWER: The fight against international terrorism and other global challenges will be the priorities at the negotiations between I.S. Ivanov and S. Sathirathai. They are expected to discuss such issues as consolidation of comprehensive peace, international and regional security, disarmament with the emphasis laid on a possibility to strengthen multilateral regimes of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the role of the UN, settlement in the Middle East, the situation on the Korean peninsula and around Iraq as well as some other issues.

The situation in the Asian-Pacific region, the boosting of Russia's cooperation with the ASEAN and the ASEAN Regional Forum will be central to the meeting. The sides will discuss bilateral cooperation within the APEC. We are ready for constructive cooperation within working bodies and programmes of the Forum.

QUESTION: Could you comment on cooperation between Russia and Thailand in the economic and other spheres and on the prospects for its development?

ANSWER: While considering the whole complex of bilateral relations, the sides will attach particular significance to diversification and enrichment of forms of mutually advantageous cooperation. We would favour further acceleration of political contacts at all levels. We believe that conditions are favourable now to step up cooperation in the trade-economic sphere (in 2001 bilateral trade made up $410 million), in the field of science and technology, establishment of cooperation in the military-technical and other spheres.

The joint Russo-Thai commission on bilateral cooperation is playing a key role in this sphere. In April 2002 the commission held its third session.

The negotiators will also touch upon issues of extending the legal-contractual base of Russo-Thai relations.

The Russian side is confident that the coming negotiations will give a new impetus to the development of contacts between Russia and Thailand both in bilateral dimensions and on the global scale.