India, Thailand: PMs want Free Trade Pact by Mid-2012

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra want to sign a comprehensive free trade pact by mid-2012, a joint statement said after a Jan. 25 meeting in New Delhi, DPA reported. The prime ministers discussed bilateral and regional economic cooperation, and raised the possibility of cooperation between Indian and Thai oil and natural gas companies in exploration and production opportunities. They also signed several agreements, including a protocol to hasten the free trade pact and a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation. Yingluck also met with Indian President Pratibha Patil and Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna during her three-day trip in the country.