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Politics
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2006-10-29 19:54:46-05
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Surayud Chulanont tells ASEAN Thailand will return to democracy
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Beijing, Oct 30: Thailand's military-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has told Chinese and Southeast Asian leaders at an ASEAN summit in Nanning that his country will return to democracy within a year. Prime Minister Surayud's arrival at the ASEAN summit on Monday is his first appearance at an international meeting since being appointed at the start of October. The Thai prime minister was accompanied by two key Cabinet ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nitya Pibulsonggram and Commerce Minister Krirkkrai Jirapaet. The summit is focusing on the creation of a giant regional free trade zone by 2010, but also concerns such as the North Korean nuclear crisis and what's considered a lack of democracy in ASEAN member Burma. Thai News Agency reported that prior to the summit, Surayud is scheduled to meet Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and he will pay a courtesy call on Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darusalam on Tuesday morning. The Thai leader will also hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart in the afternoon. The summit is seen as a vital venue for Prime Minister Surayud to further strengthen both bilateral and international relations with other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and China, according to an official statement. According to the Chinese State Foreign Ministry, the summit will see Chinese and ASEAN leaders sign a joint statement, which is hailed as "a road map, a plan of action, a blueprint" for future China-ASEAN cooperation. Thailand, with a population of over 63 million, is the world's leading rubber producer. Trade volume between China and Thailand hit 2.18 million U.S. dollars last year, making China the third largest trading partner of Thailand. The ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
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