After diplomatic relations soured following the military takeover in 2014, the EU’s Ambassador to Thailand HE Pirkka Tapiola has great expectations of the budding ties between Bangkok and the European bloc, including a speedy return to trade talks and making Thailand “a model country in sustainable fisheries”.
“If I had to use one term to describe our relationship, I’d say it’s full of potential,” said the Helsinki native, who was first posted to the kingdom 17 years ago and who formally resumed his duties here on Dec 10, 2017.
“We’ve seen progress moving in the right direction. We’ve seen announcements from the prime minister [Thai regime leader Prayut Chan-o-cha] about the roadmap for the general election. We’ve seen the end of civilian cases being heard in a military court,” he said during an interview last week.
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