BANGKOK, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Thailand and Myanmar agreed on Thursday to step up cooperation on security, trade, energy, labor, and cross-border pollution and exchanged cooperation documents during an official visit by Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing.
In a statement, Thai government spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul congratulated Min Aung Hlaing on assuming the presidency and told him that his choice of Thailand as one of the first countries to visit after taking office in April reflected the closeness of bilateral ties.
Thailand was ready to support Myanmar's participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Anutin said.
On security, Anutin stressed the importance of stability along the shared border and proposed stronger cooperation against transnational crime, in particular narcotics, online scams, and money laundering.
On economy, Anutin urged both sides to eliminate regulatory barriers and enhance transport links to revive border trade.
Thailand is ready to host a joint trade committee meeting this year, he said while proposing continued energy cooperation, improved bilateral payment mechanisms, and work on regional economic corridors.
Anutin also underlined the importance of Myanmar workers to the Thai economy and affirmed Bangkok's commitment to protecting their rights and promoting legal employment.
After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of three documents on labor cooperation, water quality and the peaceful application of earth observation technology. ■
