The military command of Thailand has highly evaluated the level of military and technical cooperation with Ukraine and is planning to discuss its prospects during an official visit to Kyiv on March.
The Thai side said this while viewing Ukraine’s stand at the international defense exhibition Defense & Security 2012 Exhibition, which opened in Bangkok (Thailand) on Monday, the Ukrspecexport State Company has told Interfax-Ukraine.
"There are serious prospects for the further development of cooperation between Thailand and Ukraine. We will actively work in this direction in future," Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army Prayuth Chan-ocha said at the Ukrainian stand.
Defense Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Sukampol Suwannathat, who also attended the exhibition, noted the high level of military and technical cooperation between the states.
"Of course, we have reached the level of strategic partnership with Ukraine. We start this partnership with the army and will improve it in other spheres," he said.
The defense minister of Thailand also praised Ukrainian armored equipment, which is in demand in Thailand, and showed interest in the products presented at the stand.
According to Ukrspecexport, on the first day of work of the Defense & Security 2012 Exhibition military delegations from Russia, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and South Korea attended Ukraine’s’ stand.
Ukroboronprom State Concern and Ukrspecexport State Company represented Ukraine’s defense industry at the exhibition, which is taking place in Bangkok on March 5-8.
Ukraine’s stand features a BTR-3E1 armored personnel carrier, models of BTR-3E1s and BTR-4s, and the MT-LB armoured towing vehicle.
In addition, the country will show off its Skif portable antitank guided missile launcher, Adros station for optical-electronic suppression, Kolchuga radars, Zubr-type small amphibious hovercraft and Giurza armored riverboats.
Ukraine’s Kharkiv-based Morozov Design and Engineering Bureau, the Kharkiv Engine Design Bureau named after Malyshev, the Kyiv-based Luch State Design Bureau, and the Kyiv Mechanical Repair Plant, which belong to the Ukroboronprom concern, will take part in the exhibition.
The international exhibition Defense & Security has been organized under the aegis of the government and the Defense Ministry of Thailand since 2003 and is one of the biggest and most well-known security, defense, military equipment and armament exhibitions in Thailand.
According to open sources, Thailand’s defense budget for 2012 is estimated by $5.5 billion (1.4% of GDP). In 2013 Thailand is planning to increase expenditures on defense by 10%.
According to expert’s calculations, in 2006-2011 Ukraine and Thailand concluded contracts on supplies of Ukrainian armament to Thailand worth $500 million.
