Srettha To Meet Anwar In Southern Province To Discuss Border Security

By Kenny Teng Khoon Hoc

BANGKOK, July 30 (Bernama) -- Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will meet his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in the southern province to discuss issues on border security and dual citizenship.

Srettha said he will meet with concerned security agencies on Wednesday (July 31) to prepare for the meeting with Anwar.

"We will be meeting the Malaysian prime minister to discuss issues of border security and dual citizenship on Aug 3 in the southern border province," he said after chairing a Cabinet meeting at Government House here Tuesday.

Srettha said the Interior Minister and the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army will be among the delegation during his visit to the southern provinces this Saturday.

Earlier, in Putrajaya, Anwar said he would meet Srettha in Golok and Rantau Panjang to discuss border security and to stimulate economic growth in the northern Peninsula and southern Thailand on Aug 3. 

This is the second working visit of the two leaders to the border provinces.

On Nov 27 last year, Srettha and Anwar undertook a working visit to Sadao, Songkhla, in southern Thailand to discuss bilateral cooperation. The visit, held at the invitation of Srettha, among others, aimed to review the progress of the road alignment project connecting the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) checkpoint in Malaysia and the Sadao Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex in Thailand.

The two prime ministers have met at least six times since Srettha was sworn in as prime minister on Sept 5.

The two premiers' first engagement was on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly. The latest was in May this year, when the two prime ministers met in Japan on the sidelines of the 29th International Conference on the Future of Asia (Nikkei Conference). 

-- BERNAMA