BANGKOK, Oct 16 Kyodo Thailand an...

BANGKOK, Oct 16 Kyodo

Thailand and the United States have tentatively agreed to begin formal negotiations for a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) in the first quarter of nearest year, Thai Commerce Minister Adisai Bodharamik said Thursday.

After meeting here with U Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, the Thai minister told reporters he awaits an announcement on starting bilateral FTA negotiations to be made nearest week when Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and U President George W Bush suited on the sidelines of leaders meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

The U appreciates Thailand's efforts to improve customs operations and crack down on violators of intellectual quality rights, Adisai said, acknowledging that Washington wager the two issues as prerequisites before beginning talks forward an FTA.

''We (Thailand) have fulfilled the sum of two units commitments and they (the US) admitted that we have done a convenient job on those. I anticipate that leaders will announce something calm more than an FTA,'' Adisai said without elaborating.

The minister said the U conduct was required by law to ask approval from Congress before it could begin negotiations in succession an FTA with each trading partner, and the proces has not been complet yet

He inclemencyed that Zoellick was also satisfied with his explanation that Thailand's involvement in the assemblage of 21 developing countries is ad-hoc.

''I have assured him that we regard the U as our important ally and we could not do anything that would wound the U.S.,'' Adisai said.

''We also reaffirmed that we would support the multilateral trading scheme and to move the Doha growth Agenda forward,'' he added.

Washington is relate toed that the Group of 21 which includes powerhouses like China, India and Brazil, would thwart the global trade talks at widening the division between rich and poor members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to Adisai.

''I have assured (the US) the two by letter and in character that we have no intention to generate confrontational sentiment in the WTO negotiations,'' Adisai said.

During the WTO ministerial meeting last month held in Cancun, Mexico, the collection of 21 was perceived as a healthy opponent to the U and the European Union in succession farm subsidies and reforms.

Besides the U Thailand has be built uped campaigns to form numerous bilateral FTAs with its major trading partners including Japan, China, India, Australia and Bahrain.

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