[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
[December 14, 2001]
[Pages 1517-1519]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the Kingdom of 
Thailand
December 14, 2001

    President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Thaksin 
Shinawatra today reaffirmed the strength 
and vitality of the alliance between the United States and Thailand, 
celebrating a mature partnership that spans many fields of endeavor, 
based on a shared commitment to democracy, open markets with free and 
fair trade, human rights, and ethnic and religious tolerance. Noting 
U.S.-Thai cooperation in conflicts from World War II to the war on 
terrorism, the President and the Prime Minister expressed the conviction 
that the alliance has been a pillar of stability in the Asia-Pacific 
region and beyond. The two leaders agreed that the scourges of 
terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and other transnational threats 
demonstrate the continued need for a robust alliance into the 21st 
century. Highlighting their vibrant program of joint military exercises 
and training, including co-hosting the largest multilateral military 
exercise in Asia every year, the two leaders emphasized their 
determination to strengthen and revitalize the alliance, while working 
with partners throughout the region to combat common threats. The two 
leaders agreed on the importance of a strong and united ASEAN, and 
President Bush offered all appropriate assistance to support capacity-
building within ASEAN. The two leaders pledged to continue cooperation 
in promoting regional peace and stability through the ASEAN Regional 
Forum (ARF).
    President Bush expressed appreciation for the Thai Government's 
support for the campaign against terrorism, including efforts to 
identify terrorist assets and money flows, reinforce money-laundering 
legislation, and pass new anti-terrorism measures. The two leaders 
pledged continued collaboration on money laundering in the Asia-Pacific 
Group and the Egmont Group, and expressed determination to expand 
counterterrorism cooperation further through new programs such as the 
Terrorist Interdiction Program. President Bush welcomed Prime Minister 
Thaksin's commitment to sign all 
counterterrorism conventions as soon as possible in accordance with the 
constitutional process in Thailand and praised the Prime Minister's 
leadership in signing and implementing UNSCR 1373. President Bush 
further welcomed the Prime Minister's offer to participate in the 
reconstruction of Afghanistan, noting Thailand's successful leadership 
of peacekeeping

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operations in East Timor. To further enhance Thailand's peacekeeping 
capabilities, President Bush announced that Thailand would continue to 
be a priority country for receipt of assistance and training through the 
Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capability Program.
    President Bush expressed strong appreciation for Prime Minister 
Thaksin's outstanding leadership in 
combating narcotics and promoting quadrilateral counternarcotics 
cooperation among neighboring countries. The two leaders discussed 
cooperative efforts to fight drug abuse and trafficking, noting that 
Thailand hosts one of the largest and most successful U.S. Drug 
Enforcement Administration (DEA) operations in the world. After nearly 
four decades of close cooperation, the U.S.-Thai partnership on 
counternarcotics continues to expand and mature, as characterized by the 
successful DEA-sponsored Sensitive Investigative Unit program, and by 
ongoing training and relationships between the U.S. Pacific Command and 
the Thai counternarcotics units. The primary mission of U.S. and Thai 
counternarcotics assets is to stop the transnational flow of heroin and 
methamphetamine, which Prime Minister Thaksin has established as his 
number one national security priority.
    The two leaders highlighted the major 
contribution that the U.S.-Thai International Law Enforcement Academy 
(ILEA) in Bangkok has made to enhancing the effectiveness of regional 
cooperation against drug trafficking and transnational crime. Noting 
that over 2,000 criminal justice professionals from Asia have been 
trained at ILEA since its joint establishment in 1998, the two leaders 
were pleased to announce that they have identified a permanent site for 
the ILEA training facility in Bangkok and will be cooperating closely to 
develop the site and further expand ILEA's activities.
    Underscoring their strong mutual commitment to open markets as the 
basis for expanding economic relations, the leaders endorsed the 
Framework for Economic Cooperation, signed by Secretary of State 
Powell and Foreign Minister 
Surakiart. The Framework is an 
expression of resolve to intensify the rich economic relationship 
between the United States and Thailand and addresses opportunities for 
future cooperation in trade and investment, intellectual property 
protection, transportation, education, telecommunications and the 
environment. Moreover, the Framework also highlights Thailand's 
commitment to customs reform and broad liberalization of civil aviation, 
progress that would pave the way for Thailand's further emergence as a 
regional aviation center and cargo hub. Prime Minister Thaksin emphasized Thailand's openness to foreign direct 
investment and continued commitment to liberalization and reform. The 
two leaders acknowledged the continuing vitality of the Treaty of Amity 
and Economic Relations as a catalyst for increased bilateral trade and 
investment. In the spirit of the long history of warm relations between 
their nations, the two leaders resolved to work closely to expand trade 
bilaterally, regionally, and globally, particularly in the context of 
the Doha Development Agenda.
    President Bush recognized Prime Minister Thaksin's role in promoting closer economic cooperation, both 
ASEAN-wide and among Thailand's immediate neighbors, and praised 
Thailand's commitment to the ASEAN Free Trade Area.
    To deepen U.S. ties to both the public and private sectors in 
Thailand, and in recognition of Bangkok's significance as a regional 
hub, President Bush announced that the U.S. Trade and Development Agency 
(TDA) will open a regional office in Thailand in January 2002. This 
office will work to support the development and financing of priority 
infrastructure projects in Thailand and throughout the region. The 
President and the Prime Minister reaffirmed a commitment to continue to 
address a range of economic development issues through the work of the 
Kenan Institute Asia, a

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public-private partnership supported by both governments. Kenan will 
continue to support programs to strengthen Thailand's economic 
competitiveness, including its Business Advisory Center for small and 
medium enterprises (SMEs). Both leaders also committed to continue 
addressing critical needs in education, including through development of 
a community college system and expansion of successful educational and 
cultural exchange programs, including the Fulbright and Peace Corps 
programs.
    Both leaders affirmed their shared 
commitment to protect the environment and agreed that the two countries 
would soon sign an agreement to establish a Tropical Forest Conservation 
Fund, which would enable cooperation under the U.S. Tropical Forest 
Conservation Act (TFCA) of 1998. TFCA provides for the cancellation of a 
portion of concessional debt owed to the United States in exchange for a 
commitment to make local currency payments to support domestic forest 
conservation activities. To further enhance cooperative efforts on the 
environment, the two leaders agreed that the United States and Thailand 
would co-host, and the Trade and Development Agency (TDA) would fund, a 
conference to promote better water management policies, reduce water 
pollution, and increase water supply in Thailand and throughout the 
region. TDA looks forward to working with the Thai Government to fund 
additional environmentally-sound projects in Thailand.
    President Bush and Prime Minister Thaksin celebrated the substantial achievements of more 
than 50 years of institutional collaboration involving the Centers for 
Disease Control (CDC), the U.S.-Thai Armed Forces Research Institute of 
Medical Sciences, and the Ministry of Public Health on a wide variety of 
tropical and infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Citing Thailand as 
a model for other countries, President Bush congratulated Prime Minister 
Thaksin for the success of Thailand's programs in dramatically reducing 
the levels of HIV/AIDS infection. The leaders praised the unique 
bilateral collaboration to develop vaccines for prevention of HIV/AIDS 
and welcomed the plan to hold the world's largest HIV vaccine efficacy 
trial in 2002. President Bush and Prime Minister Thaksin welcome 
Thailand's inclusion in the Leadership and Investment in Fighting an 
Epidemic (LIFE) initiative, which is being implemented through the CDC's 
Global AIDS program and which will complement the research CDC and the 
Thai Ministry of Public Health have been pursuing jointly since 1990.
    To reinforce the mature partnership between their two countries, 
President Bush and Prime Minister Thaksin 
pledged to continue regular and close consultations and strengthen 
cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries and peoples.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.