PGMA's Toast Remarks during the Official Luncheon Hosted in Honor of H.E. Prime MInister Thaksin Shinawatra |
Malacanang Palace, Manila (08 Sept 2003) |
| Your Excellency Prime Minister
Thaksin Shiwanatra, esteemed Officials of the Royal Thai Government, Your Excellencies of
the Diplomatic Corps, Colleagues in Government, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am pleased to welcome back to the Philippines Prime Minister Thaksin Shiwanatra, who is visiting us for the second time in two years, I invited the Prime Minister to come to the Philippines to share with our business and bureaucratic practitioners the wisdom of what I call Thaksinomics, The innovative economic policies behind Thailand's current remarkable success. I am an unabashed discipline of Thaksinomics. The close rapport that Prime Minister Thaksin and I have established provides a strong impetus behind our constructive bilateral partnership especially in the field of trade, agriculture, law enforcement and defense. The opportunities and challenges of globalization continue to demand the joint attention of governments. Globalization is inevitable and Thailand's economic success demonstrates the benefits of liberalized trade. But out position in Cancun will be clear and unequivocal. We are for downgrading subsidies by foreign government to their own farmers and for breaking down and dissolving barriers to products of developing countries quotas, health and sanitary regulations, technical obstacles, and other clever tricks we aim to fight for our farmers and fisher folks the best we can, working in concert with the rest of the developing world. This collaborative spirit permeates not just our bilateral relations, but our unstinting cooperation in the regional and multilateral arena. My administration is very grateful to the government of the Kingdom of Thailand for its generosity in transferring eight if its OV-10 Light Attack aircraft to the Philippine Air Force. The first batch of four will be put to immediate use in our counterinsurgency operations and national defense programs. In the spirit of continued solidarity, mutual trust and collaboration, I am confident that the Philippines and Thailand will reap the rewards of the new millennium. May, I, therefore, ask everyone, ladies and gentlemen, to join me in a toast to the good health and continued success of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the further enhancement of the friendly and mutually beneficial relations between the Philippines and Thailand. |