Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his key economic ministers Sunday morning held talks with French business leaders, inviting them to invest in government-sponsored major infrastructure projects, logistics and tourism.

Prommin Lertsuridej, secretary general to the prime minister, was quoted by the Thai News Agency as saying that the prime minister had briefed the business leaders on the country's economic potential and had given an assurance that Thailand was prepared to accept foreign investors as development partners.

Prommin said that the French business delegation had also inquired about energy and electricity production in Thailand, and Thaksin had told them that the country intended to pursue a policy of energy development and was ready to cooperate on projects to benefit the nation.

Some 30 French business leaders traveled with President Jacques Chirac on his first state visit to Thailand.

France is Thailand's third-biggest European investor after Britain and Germany, and Thai-French bilateral trade rose 37 percent year-on-year to 3.3 billion dollars in 2005.

Source: Xinhua