The Minister of Defense has been scheduled for official visits to Russia and the Republic of Belarus from tomorrow to February 27.

Minister of Defense Gen Prawit Wongsuwan’s official visit to Russia will be to enhance security and economic ties and follows an official visit by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Thailand in April of last year. The defense minister will also be laying groundwork for a visit by Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha as part an ASEAN-Russia summit scheduled for this May.

The defense minister and deputy prime minister will be accompanied by fellow Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak in meeting with premier Dmitry Medvedev and Russian minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov to discuss trade and investment ties. The officials are also to meet with Russian Defense Minister Gen Sergei Shoigu and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin to discuss military and security relations.

In a Belarus, the government representatives will pay a courtesy call to President Alexander Lukashenko and discuss security cooperation with the country’s Minister of Defense Lt Gen Andrei Ravkov and President of its Military Industry Commission Lt Gen Sergei Gurulev.

Gen Prawit has called the visits a good opportunity for Thailand to enhance its military ties and create new trade channels. He said relations that lead to mutual benefit are integral as the world economy is in a state of volatility.