VISAKHAPATNAM: A Joint Working Group will be formed by the ports of
Visakhapatnam and Ranong in Thailand to explore business opportunities
of mutual benefit.
Separate memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed between the Port
Authority of Thailand (PAT) and the Ports of Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and
Chennai to increase export and import trade through cargo handling. The
Indian ports will also be allowed the use of Ranong, which is located
on the Western side of Thailand and is closer to India as compared to
Thailand’s leading ports Bangkok and Laem Chabang.
Visakhapatnam Port Chairman K. Rama Mohan Rao recently said that the
MoUs were inked at the just concluded Bay of Bengal Initiative for
Multi-Sector Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) here to
strengthen bilateral ties between India and Thailand.
Ranong is a port on the Kraburi river peninsula near Myanmar. It is
near the Indian Ocean coast and the Port Authority of Thailand has
decided to develop it as a world-class port.
India wants to develop its ports as a strategic gateway to South East
Asia. Nepal is using Kolkata and Visakhapatnam Ports as gateways for its
export-import trade. Untapped areas During the recent visit of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to Thailand, the broad contours of bilateral
trade and the need to improve cooperation between various ports was
discussed with Thailand Prime Minister General (Retd) Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Elaborating on the MoU signed with Port of Ranong, VPT Deputy Chairman
P.L. Haranadh said that they were planning to explore Coastal Shipping
in a big way besides tapping the huge trade potential in the Bay of
Bengal countries and land-locked countries like Nepal.
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