BANGKOK, Thailand – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will lead a business delegation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives starting Friday (May 31st) in a bid to boost bilateral co-operation, the National News Bureau of Thailand reported.

The delegation includes representatives from a spectrum of industries, including food, tourism, jewellery, construction, health and communications.

Yingluck will first travel to Colombo, where she will meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and will address parliament, according to Xinhua. She will also attend events marking the 260th anniversary of the establishment of Siam Nikaya, a Buddhist sect that originated in Thailand but is located in Sri Lanka, according to IANS.

On Saturday, she will go to the Maldives for meetings with President Mohammed Waheed. The trip is the first official visit by a Thai prime minister since diplomatic ties were established over three decades ago. Talks are expected to focus on a series of issues including disaster management and climate change, according to IANS.