Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Friday expressed support for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's proposal to build a comprehensive economic partnership between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The two leaders agreed on the proposed economic partnership during summit talks held in Bangkok.
The economic partnership, which could lay the groundwork for a future free-trade area, calls for closer cooperation between Japan and ASEAN in the traditional areas of trade and investment as well as in sectors such as science and technology.
It is a small irony that Koizumi is coming to Thaksin with a fresh proposal on trade; two months ago, Koizumi was taken by surprise when Thaksin, during a visit to Tokyo, suggested the two countries work toward a free-trade pact. At the time, Koizumi avoided giving Thaksin a clear answer to his proposal.