FORMER Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra confirmed today (Dec. 27) that he did meet Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on a yacht in the middle of the sea near Thailand’s Koh Lipe and Malaysia’s Langkawi islands yesterday with both of them saying they had fruitful talks about several key issues, Amarin TV said.
Thaksin said after attending Thai Rath newspaper’s 75th anniversary function that he boarded a yacht at Phuket and sailed to Koh Lipe together with former agriculture and cooperatives minister Thammanat Prompao on Wednesday (Dec. 25) and held talks with Anwar Ibrahim in the middle of the sea near Thai maritime border.
Thaksin added that the two of them had discussed the insurgency in Thailand’s deep South, Asean and civil war-wracked Myanmar as well as the global situation which has changed.
“We talked a lot, especially about the Thai economy and Asean countries now being apart while we want Asean to be strong, to unite as one and be a power of 700 million people, thus more powerful than before,” he said.
Meanwhile the Malaysian Prime Minister said the following in a Facebook post:
“It was a pleasure to meet with former Thai Prime Minister, and a dear friend, Dr Thaksin Shinawatra, for an engaging, wide-ranging and fruitful discussion, including in his capacity as an informal adviser to Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship.
“Our conversation centred on critical regional priorities: revitalising economies, leveraging emerging technologies, fostering peace in southern Thailand, and addressing the Myanmar crisis.
“Thaksin’s unparalleled network of relationships across the region, coupled with his unique expertise, promises to open invaluable opportunities for Malaysia and Asean to address these challenges with greater confidence and efficacy.
“We also discussed ways to strengthen the already robust bilateral ties between Malaysia and Thailand, aligning them with the vision for sustainable development and regional cohesion that I share with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
“For decades, Thaksin and I have shared the belief that Malaysia and Thailand could accomplish much more together, not only for our respective nations but for the region as a whole. We are committed to turning that vision into reality.”
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Top and Front Page: Photos of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim holding talks on a yacht shared by the Malaysian leader on Facebook.
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