Speech by Her Excellency Busaya MATHELIN,

Ambassador of Thailand to Senegal,

to mark the 86 ^th anniversary of His Majesty the King of Thailand and the National Day of Thailand to Ngor Hotels Diarama

Thursday, December 5, 2013 from 19:00 to 21:00.

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His Excellency Benedict SAMBOU, Minister of Youth, Employment and Promotion of Civic Values.

Excellence Ambassadors and Colleagues,

Distinguished Guests,

Dear Compatriots,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good Evening.

First of all, I would like to thank His Excellency Benedict SAMBOU, Minister of Youth, Employment and Promotion of Civic Values ​​for agreeing to attend this reception as Representative of the Government of Senegal, speaking and the bonds of friendship between our two countries.

I have the honor and great pleasure to welcome you, together with the Embassy staff, on this solemn occasion to celebrate the 86 ^th anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol ADULYADEJ Thailand and our National Day. I want to thank you all for joining us on this memorable occasion.

When I took office last year, I set two main tasks. The first is to strengthen bilateral relations between our two countries, including development cooperation. The second to reduce the information gap between our two peoples through cultural and economic activities. Throughout this year we followed the roadmap and we achieved concrete results.

In April, we organized the first Fine Thai Cultural Week in Dakar. This event has raised very positive feedback and opened a new chapter in cultural exchanges between our two countries. Through cooking, music and dance, the Senegalese public could learn more about Thailand and the specificities of its people and its culture.

Another important event was the meeting in September between Thai and Senegalese private companies to explore new business opportunities. There is a huge potential for public-private partnership between Dakar and Bangkok in particular in the field of agricultural development, particularly rice. Plans are underway to realize this potential.

Next year, we will capitalize on the momentum generated by these projects, and strengthen partnership for development to promote food security and public health and education. In addition, we intend to extend our projects to other countries in West Africa covered by the Embassy.

These efforts are part of the Thailand-Africa Initiative launched by our government last summer. The initiative aims to promote a partnership between African countries and Thailand and also to strengthen links between Asia and Africa by encouraging the spirit of South-South cooperation.

In this perspective, Thailand will host the High Level Dialogue Thailand Africa February 4, 2014 in Chiang Mai, and invite the heads of state of all African countries to participate in the forum. The main theme of the Dialogue "Common challenges, shared destiny" reflects our political will to engage in deeper and more concrete relations with Africa.

Finally, it is with emotion that I would like to take this opportunity to introduce farewell to colleagues, peers and friends in Senegal. My mission will end soon and I will take my duties as Ambassador in Spain. In the twenty months here, I have met and worked with many people from all sectors. Many have become friends and have inspired me with their hard work and dedication. Thank you very much for your cooperation, your friendship and inspiration.

Last year on the occasion of our National Day, I talked about my first impression of Senegal as a country with friendly and welcoming people, a country where democratic values ​​and the culture of tolerance are part of everyday life. A year later, I must say that this impression was largely confirmed. And I know in my heart that I will leave Senegal with the best memories.

Nostalgia is the lot of our diplomatic career when leaving a pleasant and friendly countries. Also, thank you for this loyalty testified by your presence and I invite you to enjoy the reception and specialties from our kitchen.

Again, thank you for your kind attention and wish you all a very pleasant evening.

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