Visiting Thai prime minister Surayud Chulanont said here on Saturday the conflict in South Thailand would be settled through a peaceful solution, which might follow the way of terminating rebellion in Indonesia's Aceh province.

"The prime minister vowed his commitment to find out peaceful solution to the conflict in the South Thailand," Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said after Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met with Chulanont at the State Palace.

During the meeting, President Yudhoyono expressed Indonesia's readiness to help stopping conflict in Southern Thailand, Wirajuda said.

At the meeting, the newly appointed Thai prime minister proposed to resume the exchange of visits between Muslim leaders from Southern Thailand and Indonesia.

Chulanont also suggest to have exchanges among the Muslim organizations of the two countries, Wirajuda said.

Wirajuda cited that Thailand had been participating in the peace process in Indonesian province of Aceh during the cessation of hostility between the Aceh rebel and the government troops. Thailand also along with other ASEAN member countries had been taking part in the Aceh Monitoring Mission before the peace accord achieved in Helsinki, Finland in August 2005.

Regarding to the emergency status in Thailand, Chulanont said that Thailand will consider President Susilo's suggestion to lift the status as soon as possible.

The two leaders also discussed the ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation on trade, agriculture and energy, said Wirajuda.

During his one-day courtesy visit here, Chulanont is to have meeting with Indonesian House Speaker Agung Laksono at the Parliament building Saturday afternoon.

Chulanont was appointed as Thai prime minister on oct. 1 after the ouster of former Prime Minister Thaksin Sinawatra during a military coup.

Indonesia has asked Thailand to prioritize the settlement of the problem in the country through a democratic solution.

Source: Xinhua