Thai FM says trade with North Korea has dropped by 94 percent

Record ID: 905622

  • Title: Thai FM says trade with North Korea has dropped by 94 percent
  • Date: 8th August 2017
  • Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (AUGUST 8, 2017) (REUTERS) THAI FOREIGN MINISTER DON PRAMUDWINAI WALKING TO PODIUM AFTER MEETING U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE REX TILLERSON DON SPEAKING AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) THAI FOREIGN MINISTER, DON PRAMUDWINAI, SAYING: "Comparing January to June last year (2016) with January to June this year, the trade has declined by 96 percent. No, 94 percent. Please correct me, not a 96 percent but a 94 percent decline." MEDIA GATHERED AT NEWS BRIEFING CAMERAS FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) THAI FOREIGN MINISTER, DON PRAMUDWINAI, SAYING: "The decline (in trade) went from 16.4 million U.S. dollars, which is not a lot anyway, down to 900,000 U.S. dollars." JOURNALISTS SITTING AND LISTENING DON LEAVING NEWS BRIEFING
  • Embargoed: 22nd August 2017 11:53
  • Keywords: Thai foreign minister Tillerson in Thailand North Korea North Korea trade
  • Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
  • City: BANGKOK, THAILAND
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Government/Politics,International Trade
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016TAQ4P3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Thailand's Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said on Tuesday (August 8) that trade with North Korea had declined by 94 percent over the past year, a statistic he said showed the country's support for new U.N. sanctions imposed on Pyongyang over its weapons programme.
    The comment came shortly after Don met with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during the highest level visit to Thailand by a U.S. official since a military coup in 2014 soured bilateral relations.
    Tillerson, who left a regional summit in Manila earlier in the day for a five-hour visit to Bangkok, pressed Thailand's leaders for more action on North Korea. His top priority has been urging Southeast Asian countries to do more to cut funding streams for North Korea.
    The United States believes North Korean front companies are active in Thailand and is trying to encourage the Thais to shut them down, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton told reporters aboard Tillerson's plane.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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