Bangkok, April 3: Adding new vigour to the bilateral friendship, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a productive meeting with his Thailand counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra here on Thursday and the two leaders discussed various areas of bilateral cooperation.

The two leaders agreed to elevate the bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership. India and Thailand also exchanged memorandums across a range of sectors.

The MoUs include Joint Declaration on the Establishment of India-Thailand Strategic Partnership.

An MoU was exchanged between the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society of Thailand and India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Cooperation in the fields of Digital Technologies, sources said.

Sagarmala Division of India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand exchanged MoU for development of National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat;

An MOU was signed between National Small Corporation Ltd. (NSIC) and Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) of Thailand on co-operation in the field of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDONER) and Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs exchanged a MoU.

An MoU was also exchanged between North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Ltd. (NEHHDC) and Thailand's Creative Economy Agency (CEA).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a ceremonial Guard of Honour in Bangkok after his arrival in Thailand for an official visit and to attend the sixth BIMSTEC Summit.

"Adding new vigour & dynamism to our longstanding friendship. PM @narendramodi held a productive meeting with PM @ingshin of Thailand at the Government House today in Bangkok. Both leaders held extensive discussions on various areas of bilateral cooperation & agreed to elevate - relations to a Strategic Partnership", MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

The Indian community in Bangkok welcomed PM Modi with chanting of prayers, showing a deep-rooted cultural bond that continues to flourish.

"Grateful for the warm welcome by the Indian community in Bangkok. India and Thailand share a deep-rooted cultural bond that continues to flourish through our people. Heartening to see this connection reflected so strongly here," PM Modi said in a post on X.

In his departure statement, PM Modi said he looked forward to meeting the leaders of the BIMSTEC countries and engaging productively to further strengthen our collaboration with interest of people in mind.

"During my official visit, I will have the opportunity to engage with Prime Minister Shinawatra and the Thai leadership, with a common desire to elevate our age-old historical ties, which are based on the strong foundations of shared culture, philosophy, and spiritual thought," he said.

From Thailand, PM Modi will leave for Sri Lanka for a two-day visit. (ANI)

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