Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday assured his Netherlands and Norwegian counterparts that his government will stick to its political roadmap which will see a general election next year and called for a “forward-looking” relationship with European countries.

Gen Prayut met with Prime Minister of Netherlands Mark Rutte and Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg on the sidelines of the 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM12) in Brussels.  He is scheduled to address the meeting on the topic  “Building the future together: Promoting inclusive growth and sustainable connectivity” today.

In his meetings with the leaders of the Netherlands and Norway, Gen Prayut also discussed Thailand’s role as chairman of ASEAN next year. He said Thailand will help promote the centrality of ASEAN to advance peace, stability and connectivity as well as sustainable development in the region. Promoting closer relations between ASEAN and European countries will also be a priority, he said.

Gen Prayut also extended an invitation for businesses in the Netherlands and Norway to invest in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), a key plank of his government’s economic platform.