Partnership opportunities

Britain's relationship with Thailand goes back some 400 years and it is one that I expect to flourish and prosper for decades to come.

British visitors have long admired the resilience and energy of Thailand's businesses, and their reaction to the floods last year is something that we can all learn from - a combination of moving generosity, working alongside government to help the most affected, and impressive resilience, with many quickly re-establishing their businesses even after devastating damage. They have shown that, in times of adversity, adaptability is key to recovery.

On this visit, my first to Thailand in my role as minister for trade, I will be looking at where Thailand and the UK can work together, combining our respective skills through partnership work and the exchange of expertise. Thailand has long been a key partner to the UK, and we want to build on these ties and respective strengths.

We are already making good progress. In 2010, bilateral trade was worth 3 billion pounds, and between 2006 and 2010, UK goods exports to Thailand doubled. We are also Thailand's leading EU investor, with major companies enjoying a strong presence here including HSBC, Standard Chartered, GlaxoSmithKline, BG Group, Boots and Tesco, the latter of which has over 1,000 stores - the largest number outside the UK.

Thai investment in the UK is equally important, and we want to continue to attract more innovative Thai companies to choose Britain as a place to do business. An important example of Thai investment is Tata Steel's Teeside Cast Products in Redcar by Thai-based Sahaviriya Steel Industries. Up to 1,000 jobs will be created and 700 saved.

During my visit, I will meet with both Thai and British firms, including UK engineering consultancy Halcrow, to look at the opportunities for partnership work. The UK has extensive global expertise in construction and infrastructure, working on major international projects from designing "green" airports to building new cities from scratch. We are also home to a water and wastewater industry - serviced by over 500 companies - with experience of renovating buildings appropriately to cope with future floods, and developing robust systems for irrigation and better water drainage.

As more global businesses are innovatively rethinking the way they work, and implementing strategies for green growth, I will be getting a flavour of some of the excellent innovations in sustainable design when I visit the British Council-sponsored eco-design exhibition in Bangkok. It will showcase the best in British and Thai sustainable design by contemporary UK and Thai designers and architects.

Education is another area where we can work together. Thailand's neighbours, Malaysia and Singapore, boast a large English-speaking population that is expanding rapidly. Emerging markets like Vietnam and Indonesia are following suit. As with any country looking to maintain international competitiveness, proficiency in English is at the heart of global business. As Thailand moves from a manufacturing-led to a high-tech, high-value economy, English will become integral to this transition.

I will be looking at how the UK can work with Thailand to support more of its companies do business globally. Our colleges and universities offer a wide range of vocational training and can meet any occupation-based learning requirement as well as providing world-class training to the business world.

I am delighted that the University of Central Lancashire is planning to establish the UK's first private university campus in Bangkok, where it intends to receive its first students in June 2014.

My visit will also address ways in which the UK can support Thailand's efforts to provide affordable and effective healthcare for all of its citizens. The UK-based global pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline, which has had a presence in Thailand for many years, is an example of a company renowned for its commitment to improving public health worldwide. It and other UK pharmaceutical companies would like to partner with Thailand in improving access to medicines for the whole population.

I am a strong believer in free trade, which in my view benefits all countries and stimulates competition. That's why I would like to see Thailand follow in the footsteps of its neighbours and seek an early parliamentary mandate to commence negotiations for an EU-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (FTA). We only need to look at the benefits of the EU/Korea FTA, which came into effect last summer, which saw hundreds of tariffs fall away and significantly improve the way business is undertaken between the two countries.

We now need to build on our strong relationship and provide the best environment for business to flourish. We face similar challenges, adapting our economies to an uncertain global environment. But we also share a vision for the future that will unlock opportunities, foster talent and stimulate knowledge.

Lord Stephen Green is minister of state for trade and investment in the UK's Department for Business Innovation and Skills. Lord Green took up his appointment after a 28-year career with HSBC, which culminated in his appointment as group chairman of HSBC Holdings in 2006. He begins his visit to Thailand today.