US business council seeks assurances
A group of American investors will seek assurances that the Thai government will continue its trade liberalisation policy during a meeting with Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont here this weekend.
The American businessmen under the US-Apec Business Coalition are likely to raise the issue at a meeting they requested with Surayud during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders' summit.Matthew Daley, head of US-Asean Business Council who was hoping to meet Surayud, said no date had been fixed but "the prime minister has agreed to meet us". He said American businessmen were keen to hear the government's policy direction from the Thai premier. Asked if he had any specific question, Daley said, "We want to hear if the government will continue the trade liberalisation policy." Surayud is scheduled to give a speech on sufficiency economy at the Apec CEO summit, a parallel meeting to the leaders' summit. Daley said that American investors thought the interim Cabinet was a "quality government". He said the foreign, finance and commerce ministers were all well known internationally. "They have superb reputations," he said "In terms of staffing, we have a lot of confidence. But what we don't know about is the policy direction and the possibility of new policy directions," he said. The US-Asean Business Council had earlier urged the government of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to accelerate negotiations on a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the US. However, Daley admitted that it would now be almost impossible to conclude the FTA with Thailand before US President George W Bush's authority to fast-track such pacts expires in the middle of next year. Jeerawat Na Thalang The Nation Hanoi
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