Thailand promises to help ease world food crisis

Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama told reporters here that Thailand shared similar views on importance of food security with the United Nations and other international organizations.

Prime Minister Samak earlier commented that the UN, the World Bank and other international organizations should take care of energy price soaring, rather than teaching Thailand on rice production.

Noppadon said Thailand has no point of disagreement with the international community but the world need a sustainable solution to the issue of rising energy and food prices, which should be comprehensive and take into account of all the factors and relevant parties concerned.

Thailand has clarified the stance to the UN during a recent discussion between the Thai permanent mission to the UN in New York, he said.

Meanwhile the World Bank's Vice President for East Asia Pacific Region Jim Adam praised the Thai stance and its resistance on rice trade pressure.

"As the world's largest exporter of rice, Thailand has been a responsible international trading partner, particularly on rice trade," he said in a statement.

"Noting Thailand's long and successful history as a rice exporter, I emphasized that we feel the government of Thailand was being responsible in resisting pressures to cut off exports and that there was, in our view, an adequate supply of rice to meet needs," he added.

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) chief Supachai Panitchpakdi told reporters here that restriction on food export would be a great repercussion on world food crisis since it would make the food be a victim of speculation in commodity future market.

Trade restriction would make the good disappear from the market resulting in speculation and panic among consumers, he said.

Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation,