Australia and Thailand have agreed to strenghthen ties, stepping up cooperation on defence and crime-fighting and looking to increase trade, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday.
Morrison and Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha agreed to step up the two countries' relationship to a "Strategic Partnership".
"In view of the evolving strategic shifts in the region, through this Strategic Partnership we will enhance cooperation in key areas, including defence and security, cyber affairs, anti-money laundering and combating transnational crime," Morrison said.
The announcement came ahead of a virtual ASEAN-East Asia Summit and a virtual ASEAN-Australia summit this weekend.
Thailand is one of Australia's top 10 trading partners.
"Our trading relationship will grow even more important as both countries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic," Morrison said.
(Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Michael Perry)
