French President pays state visit to Thailand

French President Jacques Chirac and his wife, Madame Bernadette Chirac, will arrive in Bangkok Friday for a state visit to the Thai kingdom as the guests of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand, scheduled for February 17-19.

Their Majesties the King and Queen will receive the French president and his wife at the Royal Thai Air Force's Airport Friday afternoon.

The visit, the first-ever for a French president to the Thai kingdom in 300 years, is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

On February 18, the French president and his entourage, including French foreign, finance and industry, external trade, defense and tourism ministers, will hold a plenary meeting with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the Thai cabinet.

The two sides will discuss a joint French-Thai action plan, proposed by the Thai government, covering bilateral cooperation in science and technology, tourism, as well as fashion businesses, including a plan to set up Thailand Fashion House in Paris.

The two governments will also discuss a bilateral cooperation in extending financial support to Thailand's neighboring countries. The Thai government will invite French business persons to invest in Thailand's mega-development projects as well.

The Thai and French governments will then sign bilateral agreements in postal services, as well as information and communication technology and science and technology. The two countries' private sector will also sign their business pacts, including those between Thai Airways International Public Company Limited and Bangkok Airways and France-based Airbus Co. on purchases of 21 Airbus aircraft over the next five years.

The French and Thai leaders will issue a joint statement on bilateral ties and cooperation between the two countries.

Prime Minister Thaksin said he would personally seek a support from President Chirac for Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiate Sathirathai's bid for the next United Nation's Secretary-General. Incumbent UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's term will expire at the end of this year.