The Map Ta Put issue is also related. With rapid economic growth in Thailand, environmental concerns are growing among Thai people. In the past, Japan also experienced serious environmental problems during the course of its rapid economic growth. After a painful trial and error process, a system of environmental laws and regulations was adopted, and enforcement systems for those regulations were set in place. As a result, Japan is now a leading country in the field of environmental protection. I would like to offer the Japanese past experiences, including its past failures, to Thailand for its reference. The Thai media have often introduced Japanese examples where factories and local populations worked together to overcome environmental damage. The Japanese Government has also started cooperation with the Thai Government to this effect, by dispatching environmental specialists to Thailand and through starting a project toward the establishment of a regulatory regime to control pollutant emission.
I recently read a news article which said that a Thai power generating company together with Mitsubishi Corporation will build the world-biggest solar power plant in Lopburi province by using solar cell technology from Sharp Corporation. The Thai Government is now promoting new sources of energy. I believe that cooperation between our two countries through the utilization of Japanese environmental technology has a significant potential in overcoming the challenge of achieving both economic growth and environmental protection.