Business main topic during French PM's visit

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra hopes to persuade France to invest in a high-speed train project in Thailand which would connect services of other countries in the region, European Affairs Department director-general Sarun Charoensuwan said yesterday.

He was speaking after the announcement that French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and his wife will make an official visit to Thailand next Monday and Tuesday to further strengthen ties between the two countries.

The leaders of the two countries will discuss the sale of Airbus planes and satellite technology, two industries in which France is leading player. Water management systems and renewable energy will also be discussed, Sarun said.

Ayrault's official visit marks the first by a French leader in 23 years. It will take place six months after the Thai PM visited France and invited the PM and French businessmen to invest in Thailand.

Ayrault will head up a delegation of 120 French businessmen as guests of the Thai government.

They are scheduled to arrive at Don Mueang airport on Monday afternoon.

Ayrault will deliver a speech on Tuesday on France's perspective on Thailand, Asean and Asia at Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus.

In the afternoon he will lead the French businessmen in talks with their Thai counterparts at the Dusit Thani.

The PMs of the two countries will witness the ratification of five agreements, including the Agreement on Defence Cooperation, the Declaration of Intent for Cooperation in Education, the General Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation for Development-Oriented Research and the MOU between Rajamangala Universities of Technology Network and Asesemble des Directeurs D'IUT.