Bangkok [Thailand], April 3 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held delegation-level talks with his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Bangkok and said that the two leaders decided to elevate India-Thailand ties to level of strategic partnership.

Delivering a joint press statement after the talks, PM Modi expressed his condolences over the impact of the recent earthquake in Thailand. 'On behalf of the people of India, I express deep sympathies for the loss of lives in the earthquake that hit on 28th March. We pray for the speedy recovery of those who were injured.'

Asserting that Thailand holds special place in India's 'Act East' Policy and Indo-Pacific vision, the prime minister said,'India and Thailand support free, open, inclusive, rule-based order; we believe in policy of development-ism, not expansionism.'

PM Modi highlighted, 'Today, we have decided to elevate our relationship to that of a strategic-level partnership. We have also agreed to establish strategic dialogue between our security agencies'.

PM Modi highlighted the centuries-old cultural connect between the two countries and expressed gratitude to the Thai PM for the release of a special stamp based on Ramayana mural paintings from 18th century.

He said, 'India and Thailand's centuries-old relations are connected through our deep cultural and spiritual ties. The spread of Buddhism has connected our people. From Ayutthaya to Nalanda, there has been an exchange of intellectuals. The tales of Ramayana are a part of Thai people's lives. The influence of Sanskrit and Pali are reflected in language and traditions even today. I am grateful to the Thailand government that during my visit, a commemorative stamp, based on Ramayana mural paintings from 18th century, was issued.'

Prime Minister Modi was presented with the Holy Scriptures: 'World Ti-pitaka: Sajjhaya Phonetic Edition' by the Prime Minister Shinawatra. It was brought out by the Thai government in 2016 to commemorate King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirikit of Thailand's 70-year reign. It is a compilation of Lord Buddha's teachings with accurate pronunciation of the Pali Tipitaka's over nine million syllables. Thai Government has presented it as a 'Gift of Peace and Wisdom for All' from the Kingdom of Thailand to more than 30 countries.

'On behalf of 'Buddha Bhoomi' India, I accepted it with folded hands. Last year, holy relics of Lord Buddha were sent from India to Thailand, this is a matter of great joy that over four million devotees received the opportunity to have a darshan. I am happy to announce that the holy relics of Lord Buddha that were found in Gujarat's Aravalli in 1960 will also be sent to Thailand, for darshan. This year, our old ties were seen in Mahakumbh too. More than 600 Buddhist devotees from Thailand and other nations were a part of this event.'

He expressed thanks to the government of Thailand for supporting Indians who had been subjected to cyber crimes.

Prime Minister Modi and Thai PM Shinawatra held discussions on the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs noted.

The two leaders agreed to elevate the bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership. India and Thailand also exchanged memorandums across a range of sectors.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a ceremonial Guard of Honour in Bangkok after his arrival in Thailand on Thursday for the 6th BIMSTEC Summit.

The 6th BIMSTEC Summit is set to take place on Friday, marking a significant regional engagement between India and its neighbouring countries in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) group. (ANI)