Bush meets with coup appointed Thai PM

November 19, 2006

According to reports from Agence France-Press (AFP), and Thai newspaper, The Nation, US president George Bush has met with the recently appointed Prime Minister, Surayud Chulanont. The encounter took place at the ongoing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Hanoi.

Surayud, appointed by the leaders of the bloodless September 19 coup, outlined the plans of the government to introduce constitutional reforms and political change. According to AFP there had been suggestions that Bush would not meet with Surayud, but the two shook hands cordially and Bush was said to have described the coup which ousted populist Thaksin Shinawatra as "military intervention".

The US President has been making further use of the opportunities for dialogue at the APEC summit, today saw him catching up with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Discussion was said to include currently in-place sanctions against Russian arms and military aircraft manufacturers.