Prime Minister Abhisit's visit, his first to the United States since becoming Prime Minister in December, stressed the importance of Southeast Asia and Thailand in particular to the economics of a Post-Crisis world.

"Thailand is not only a key American ally, but an important trading partner for the United states, with two way trade totaling over $33 billion in 2008, " said Council President Alexander Feldman. "Thailand is also the chair of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), which taken as a whole is America's fifth-largest trading partner, supporting millions of American jobs. We applaud Prime Minister Abhisit's leadership in opening additional opportunities for trade and investment in Thailand and in moving ASEAN towards its goal of creating a single market through the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015."

Mr. Kent in his introduction praised the Prime Minister for the strides he has made in restoring Thailand's image as a hub for international investment and tourism. "We applaud Prime Minister Abhisit's government for the strong initiatives they have put in place to strengthen Thailand's economy," he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit promised to continue working to reform Thailand's rules and regulations to make it easier for companies to do business. "Thailand has always strived to be an open economy. We believe it is the Private Sector that drives growth, and I am committed to a transparent and consultative process," said the Prime Minister. "The US-ASEAN Business Council represents those companies most committed to Thailand and ASEAN, and I am always open to their concerns on Customs, licensing, intellectual property, and other issues."

In addition to host Chartis, the Council was represented by Council Chairman Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, Thailand Committee Chair Laura Hudson of Chevron, Vice Chair Guardian International President and CEO Ralph Gerson, Senior Counsel Bailey Leopard of Vice Chair Federal Express, ACE Limited Chairman and CEO Evan Greenberg, and senior representatives from Amway, Citi, Conocophillips, General Electric, New York Life, PhRMA on behalf of Eli Lilly, Philip Morris, and Qualcomm.

Accompanying the Prime Minister were President of the Thai Trade Representative H.E. Kiat Sittheeamorn, Deputy Commerce Minister H.E. Alongkorn Ponlaboot, and Ambassador to the United States H.E. Don Pramudwinai, as well a number of Thai business leaders and officials including the Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Chairman of the Thai Bankers' Association, and the Vice Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries.

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The US-ASEAN Business Council and affiliates are dedicated to strengthening bilateral and US ASEAN relations and building strong economic and commercial ties. Members of the Council include Fortune 1000 companies in support of promoting trade, investment, and technology cooperation, advancing US ASEAN relations through strong participation in public-private partnerships, and committing to development and corporate social responsibility. The Council's members are represented in diverse industries, including aerospace, agribusiness, automobiles, computers and information technology, consumer goods, energy exploration and development, express delivery services, financial services, health care and pharmaceuticals, media & entertainment, mining, software, and telecommunications.

For information on the US-ASEAN Business Council or general information visit www.us-asean.org.