Thai-Maldives Business Forum begins

The Thailand-Maldives Business Forum, partaken in by the delegation of 30 businesses which arrived in Maldives for the Thailand-Maldives Joint Trade Committee Conference, has started in Dhaburaage.

The forum, being held at Dhoshimeynaa Maalam of Dharubaaruge this Thursday, October 13, is designed to nurture trade dealings between Thai and Maldivian businesses.

The forum is an initiative of Ministry of Economic Development of Maldives and Ministry of Commerce of Thailand.

Launching the event, Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Adam Thaufeeq said that trade between Thailand and Maldives had improved after President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s visit to Thailand earlier this year.

The forum will continue until 5 pm this Thursday.

Maldivian businesses have been encouraged to attend the event and network with the Thai export businesses participating in the event.

The 30 Thai businesses will also be exhibiting some of their products – ranging from fruits, food products, tourism-related products, household items and spa products.

Thailand-Maldives Joint Trade Committee was set up back in 2013, but this is only its second conference.

The conference is being held for two days – from October 12 -13 in Hotel Jen.

The ministerial meeting scheduled for this Thursday had to be cancelled after the Thai Minister of Commerce, Apiradi Tantraporn had to make a premature departure back to

Thailand after the health of Thai King, Bhumibol Adulyadej deteriorated further.

However, Maldivian Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed and Tantraporn had held unofficial talks during which they discussed direct trade, instead of using brokers as was the current practice in the import of fruits and other food products from Thailand.