RIYADH — Saudi Arabia and Thailand agreed to fully restore diplomatic ties between the two countries and decided to exchange ambassadors in the near future, a joint statement issued on Tuesday said. "The two sides agreed on important steps that would enhance bilateral relations, including: appointing ambassadors in the two capitals in the near future, and establishing a consultative mechanism to strengthen bilateral cooperation, where communication will be intensified in the coming months to discuss bilateral coordination in key strategic areas," the statement read. Thailand's Prime Minister affirmed that his country attaches the utmost importance to the bond of friendship with the Saudi Arabia and keen to resolve all pending issues between the two sides, expressing his sincere regrets for the tragic cases that took place in Thailand between 1989 – 1990. He reaffirmed that Thailand had exerted utmost efforts to resolve the cases and that it stands ready to bring the cases to the consideration of the competent Thai authorities if new well-founded evidence relating to the cases should emerge. He also reaffirmed Thailand's commitment to providing appropriate security to members of the Saudi mission in Bangkok in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Both sides also reiterated their commitments to do their utmost to ensure the safety of each other's nationals in their respective countries.. "Discussions included ways to strengthen and enhance economic and trade relations between the two countries through exploring investment and opportunities available in the light of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, and Thailand's development priorities, which include the policy of a dynamic - circular - green economy, in addition to discovering new areas of cooperation, such as: renewable energy and the environment, digital transformation, and cybersecurity," it added. (Developing)
