USA/India/Thailand

Clinton heads to Thailand after India visit

Article published on the 2009-07-21 Latest update 2009-07-21 17:38 TU

Hillary Clinton arrives at Don Muang International airport (Bangkok) 21 July 2009
(Photo: Reuters)

Hillary Clinton touched down in Thailand today after a five-day visit in India. She is expected to attend a security forum to discuss North Korea, Myanmar as well as sign a non-aggression pact with Asean. Thailand has also tightened its security in a bid to avoid incidents such as the anti-government protests of last April. Clinton is also expected to discuss the AH1N1 virus.

Clinton has just finished a trip to India in which a deal between the two trading powers was concluded. It involves the sales of US arms to India and also the approval, by India, of sites for two US nuclear reactors. She said the deal was accompanied by an "end-use monitoring" agreement which would oversee the use of any weapons or technology sold to India.

During her visit to Thailand she will also meet her counterparts from South Korea, China, Japan and Russia who were all North Korea's partners in the six year disarmament negotiations.

On Tuesday Hillary Clinton said that Washington knows "that there are growing concerns about military cooperation between North Korea and Burma [Myanmar] which we take very seriously".

She is due to meet Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva before joining the Asean conference in Phuket.