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U.S.-Thai FTA talks suspended because of coup, but no giving up: officials |
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20:08, July 24, 2007 |
The United States has suspended Free Frade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the Thailand because of last September''s coup, but it did not mean the efforts have been given up, according to Thai and U.S. officials.
A notice to editors released Tuesday by the U.S. embassy in Thailand stated that reports published on Singapore and Thailand''s newspapers have misquoted U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Susan Schwab by saying the U.S. is no longer interested in pursuing a FTA with Thailand.
According to the release, in an exclusive with Singapore''s Straits Times, Schwab actually said, "In case of Thailand, that FTA stalled out shortly before the coup, and then obviously with the coup it became impossible to proceed. We have not given up given up having a free-trade agreement with Thailand. And Thailand continues. For example. in the context of Doha to be very pro- trade -- be a real actor that is pro-trade on the international scene, and that is good."
The Straits Times story, published on Monday and reprinted on Tuesday''s front pages of two Thailand-based newspapers Matichon and Bangkok Post, missed the word "not" in front of "given up having a FTA with Thailand", the release said.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, when responding to the mis-quoted reports, Karun Kittisgiathaporn, Thailand''s Permanent Secretary for Industry under the Commerce Ministry, affirmed that Washington has announced that free trade talks with Thailand were suspended due to the Sept. 19 coup in Thailand 19 last year, and the negotiations will resume when a democratic government is in place.
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