Naveed Ahmad Khan Photo by Raja Farid
Islamabad: Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology (IT) & Telecommunication Dr Umar Saif paid tributes to the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand for leading the country and the masses on the path of unprecedented economic growth in diverse sectors such as Food Industry, Tourism, Information Technology and aviation, etc.
He was speaking as Chief Guest at a reception hosted by Ambassador of Thailand Mr.Chakkrid Krachaiwong and Mrs.PornratKrachaiwong to celebrate the National Day of Thailandin Serena Islamabad.
The national day also coincided with the Birthday Anniversary of the late King Bhumibol and Thailand’s Father’s Day. It is my great honour to address the reception of a country I have always wished to visit and have indeed visited it on many occasions, said Dr. Umar Saif adding Thailand served as a case history for being a country of unique potential and huge economic growth.
“Today, 70pc of computers’ hard disks are manufactured in Thailand besides the country is also home to thousands of years’ ancient civilization,” he said.
Pakistan too he said boasts of Indus Civilization that is around 5,000 years old and its ancient sites such as Taxila and Swat are respected and revered in Thailand for being the cradle of Buddhist civilization, said the Minister.
The reception was designed by the organizers to showcase the rich Thai culture, Thai food and Thai colours, reminding one of the reasons why Thailand is the no.1 tourist destination in the world.
Earlier in his welcome address, Ambassador Chakkrid Krachaiwong explained it was in fact December 5, the national day of the country and is commemorated as the National Day of the Kingdom.
December 5 is also recognized by the UN as the World Soil Day to acknowledge the late King Bhumibol’s contributions in soil science for the improvement of livelihood of people.
Throughout his 70-year reign, His Majesty dedicated himself to improve the wellbeing of his people under the “Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy” which uses knowledge and virtue as guidelines in living.
About bilateral relations, he said Thailand and Pakistan enjoyed diplomatic relations for the last 72 years but these ties have been established for more than 2,000 years through the Gandhara route.
He also referred to the historical visit of the venerable Monk Phra Anil Sakya and said Phra Anil Sakya belonged to the same family that Lord Buddha himself was from. He was here in Pakistan to attend the Gandhara Symposium in July this year. I am confident that these unique ties would grow stronger as we move forward with our relationship, he said.
He said, the year 2023 is an exciting year for Thailand – Pakistan relations. Many historical moments have happened that reflect our strong ties/ and promising future.
He said, while Thailand is always proud to host visitors from Pakistan for tourism purpose, he wished Pakistanis to consider Thailand’s world-class health care and wellness services and internationally recognized educational institutions.
We can also benefit from skillful IT experts from Pakistan /and Thailand’s advanced IT infrastructures/ to create a powerful global IT powerhouse supporting world businesses.
‘I am excited to meet a team of Thai cyclists who biked from Islamabad to Gilgit for 2 months. They came back with unforgettable memories of the locals/ they met along the way. With the shared values we have in living in peace and harmony, is the reason why we feel very connected and are able to create bonds with the Pakistanis in no time.
He added, another historical event that happened this year is that, for the first time, Thailand, a country with no history in Cricket has set foot in Pakistan when the Thailand Emerging Women Cricket Team came here to compete in T20/ with West Indies and Pakistan. Having the opportunity to compete in this tournament not only helps them gain more experiences but also help create bond and friendship among the players.
As an active member of ASEAN, Thailand has worked closely with our ASEAN family in Islamabad to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in
3 pillars of ASEAN which are Political-Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural.
About bilateral trade, he said Pakistan Thailand total trade had reached US$ 1.65 billion in 2022 but there was much more both countries could do to enhance trade under the Pakistan National Single Window.