The Right Honourable Mr. Hugo Swire, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, is scheduled to visit Thailand on 19-21 May 2013. During his visit, Mr. Swire will co-chair and lead the delegation of the United Kingdom in the inaugural session of the Thailand-United Kingdom Strategic Dialogue. H.E. Mr. Jullapong Nonsrichai, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, will co-chair the session.

A concrete outcome of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s visit to the United Kingdom six months ago, the Strategic Dialogue is designed to be a regular bilateral consultative forum to discuss and exchange views on a wide range of issues to strengthen the partnership between Thailand and the United Kingdom.
 
Discussions will cover bilateral matters including two-way trade and investment, enhanced collaboration in defence and education, promotion of people-to-people contact, as well as the exchange of knowledge and best practices in S&T and innovation. Both sides will also discuss regional and international issues of common interest.

Apart from co-chairing the Strategic Dialogue, Mr. Swire will call on H.E. Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and H.E. Mr. Kittiratt Na Ranong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. He is also scheduled to meet representatives of several Thai agencies, including the National Security Council and the Royal Thai Mint, to follow up on pending bilateral issues and discuss future cooperation. In addition, he will meet representatives of local Thai and British businesses and engage in a number of consular activities organized by the British Embassy in Bangkok.