Thai new Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram reiterated to foreign press in Bangkok yesterday that Thailand would stick to its principles on foreign policy and its parliamentary democracy.

At the first official press conference since he was appointed Foreign Minister on Oct. 8, Nitya said one of major issues on the agenda of the Foreign Ministry now is to "try to convey to our friends what's happened in Thailand and ...that Thailand would adhere to its principles on whether domestic or foreign policies."

The new FM noted that the interim cabinet would only exist for no more than a year, and there are many tasks to be tackled, but he insisted the Ministry would persuade the international communities with deeds and actions to believe Thailand would firmly adhere to parliamentary democracy.

"Our words could be relied on, " he said.

The 65-year-old new minister has worked as a career diplomat since he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1968. Educated in two Ivy League colleges in the United States, he served as an permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations for eight years and later the Ambassador to the United States from 1996 to 2000. He returned to Foreign Ministry to serve as permanent secretary before retiring in 2001.

Nitya was one of the old hands picked by Thailand's new Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont that formed the majority of the interim cabinet, which was sworn in before the King of Thailand on Monday.