I am pleased to announce a number of Agreements and initiatives which
further strengthen Australia's close relationship with Thailand,
and advance Australia's significant national interests in Thailand.
Australia will provide an additional $10.2 million in aid to Thailand
over the next two years, in response to Thailand's current economic
difficulties. This pledge raises the level of Australian bilateral
aid to Thailand over the next two years by 25 per cent above the increase
announced by Australia in December last year.
Australia will suspend an earlier agreement to graduate Thailand from
Australian development assistance by 2000-01. A new programme of Australian
support will be developed to focus on rehabilitating the banking and
finance system, on good governance and on reducing the impact of the
crisis on the poor and disadvantaged.
Under the new programme, Australia will fund 80 post-graduate scholarships
for Thai students whose Royal Thai Government scholarships cannot
be funded because of economic constraints in Thailand.
These scholarships are in addition to the 250 Thai students already
in Australia under the existing development assistance programme.
Australia and Thailand have concluded a new air services agreement
which will increase capacity and flexibility for airlines of both
countries to meet tourism and air freight demands beyond the year
2000, strengthening the economic and people-to-people dimensions of
the bilateral relationship.
The new agreement will enable both Australian and Thai airlines to
nearly double capacity from a total of 37 B747 or equivalent services
to 70 flights per week by March 2000.
With immediate effect, Australian and Thai carriers could increase
capacity of freight services to a total of 14 per week.
Australia and Thailand are both agricultural trading nations and founder
members of the Cairns Group, and have a long history of cooperation
in the agriculture sector.
Today, I witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on
agricultural cooperation which will provide for closer collaboration
on policy development, market access, trade promotion and industry
development.
I was also pleased to witness today the signing of a memorandum of
understanding on recognition of academic qualifications.
The MOU enables Australia and Thailand to work towards a broad framework
for cooperation on the mutual recognition of educational awards issued
by institutions from both countries. This will assist both Australian
professionals seeking to work in Thailand and the many Thai students
who are currently studying in Australia either privately or on scholarships.
It is increasingly important that we move to common regional understandings
on educational standards.
I am also pleased to announce the establishment of the Australia Thailand
Sports Foundation.
The Australian Government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade's Asian Sports Linkages Programme and the Australian
Sports Commission, will contribute $40,000 (about one million baht)
towards the Foundation for each of the next two years. The Sports
Authority of Thailand will contribute a matching amount.
The foundation's first priority is to assist the Thai national
team prepare for the 1998 Asian Games and the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
These measures are a further reflection of the Government's active
regional diplomacy. They signal Australia's long-term commitment
to the region, and to building strong bilateral relationships which
advance Australia's economic and security interests.
eral relationships which
advance Australia's economic and security interests.