Blinken pledges US-Thai partnership in Bangkok visit
The United States and Thailand signed agreements in Bangkok on Sunday to deepen the countries' ties, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken continued a regional tour.  Mr Blinken and Thai foreign minister Don Pramudwinai pledged to advance partnerships in climate change, law enforcement and security cooperation. His visit comes a day after he met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Indonesia on the sidelines of the G20 foreign minister's meeting. Blinken was also due to meet with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.  "We are taking the partnership between us fully into the 21st century," Blinken said, adding that Thailand is an important ally "in a region that is shaping the trajectory of the century". Bliken last year postponed a trip to Thailand after halting a regional tour when a case of Covid-19 was found in the press corps accompanying him. "We have also laid the foundation for the next 190 years," the Thai foreign minister said, as the two countries prepare to mark 190 years of relations next year. Talks with Prayuth will include the crisis in Myanmar and expanding cooperation, the State Department said. Myanmar's military has increased pressure against ethnic minority armies since a coup last year and is encountering resistance on multiple fronts, including militia groups allied with the ousted government. (Reuters)