India, Thailand to sign taxation treaty, MoU for Ayurveda Chair in Thai universities

BANGKOK: India and Thailand will sign a double taxation treaty and an MoU for setting up an Ayurveda Chair in one of the Thai Universities during the three-day visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj beginning today.

The Minister will also tomorrow be the guest of honour at the inaugural ceremony of the 16th World Sanskrit Conference where she will deliver her speech in Sanskrit. Over 600 scholars from 60 countries will participate in the five-day conference.

Swaraj will co-chair India-Thailand joint commission meeting during which the two countries will sign a double taxation avoidance treaty and exchange instruments of ratification on the extradition treaty signed between them in 2013.

An MoU on the establishment of an Ayurveda Chair in one of the Thai Universities will also be signed during her visit.

Swaraj will also meet Indian business leaders and hold interaction with academicians.

She will have an audience with Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, a scholar of Sanskrit and Royal Patron of the World Sanskrit Conference. Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani will attend the concluding ceremony of the conference on July 2.

On Monday, Swaraj will call on the Thai political leadership.

She will meet Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thai government Gen Tanasak Patimapragorn.

On her arrival here, Swaraj was received by Chalit Manityakul, Ambassador of Thailand, and senior officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.

Coinciding with the Conference, Doordarshan will launch a weekly news programme in Sanskrit in India.

Promotion of Sanskrit has been a focus area of the NDA government ever since it came to power in 2014.