Both countries will finalise a schedule for the first visit of the Grand Sheikh of AlAzhar, Dr Mohammed Sayed Tantawi.

Sawanit was speaking after meeting Tantawi during the second day of a visit to Egypt.

"Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has extended an invitation for the Grand Sheikh to visit our country. He informed me during the meeting he has accepted the invitation," Sawanit said.

The government regards the visit as important and believes it can play an important role in solv¬ing unrest in the deep South.

Tantawi is respected by Muslims around the world as a spiritual leader and an opponent of violence.

His visit to Thailand aims to send a signal to Thai Muslims that violence cannot solve problems and creates only additional conflict.

Prince of Songkhla University would confer an honorary degree during his visit, the deputy minister said.

Sawanit said Tantawi told him he was opposed to extremists who used Islam to create war and con¬flict.

"Muslim people can live peace¬fully and in harmony with those of other faiths. They have been taught to respect other thoughts and the beliefs of other religions," Sawanit reported Tantawi as saying.

The foreign ministry will spread Tantawi's message in Thailand to support those who believe peace and reconciliation will solve deep-South division.

Sawanit donated Bt1 million to the prestigious AlAzad University where some 1,500 Thai students are studying, mostly religion. Tantawi is dean of the school.

The money will help Thai students.

Both men agreed Thai students in Egypt should be encouraged to study other subjects as well as religion - especially engineering, finance and rural development.

"Thai students studying religion overseas often find difficulty land¬ing jobs when they return to Thailand. It is because there are already too many religion teach¬ers. If they study other subjects, with their experience and education background they could find other jobs," Sawanit said.

The deputy minister travelled yesterday to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, where he met an aide to the president Nafie Ali Nafie, Agriculture Minister Mohammed al-Amin Issa Kabashi and Energy Minister Awad Ahmed El Gaz.

Sawanit is due to meet Thai officers with the United Nations Mission in the Sudan before returning home Saturday.

Marisa Chimprabha

The Nation