The Verkhovna Rada has voted down the bill on the ratification of the trade agreement between the governments of Ukraine and Thailand.

A total of 206 MPs voted for respective bill (No. 0170) on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed in Bangkok on June 5, 2017.

"Thailand is a promising market for Ukrainian exports... In January-September 2017, our trade with Thailand in goods and services amounted to $342 million, whereas exports in the first nine months amounted to almost $200 million," Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Trade Natalia Mykolska said, while presenting the bill at a plenary meeting of parliament on Wednesday.

According to her, the agreement envisages bilateral investment cooperation, the exchange of visits of trade missions, the holding of fairs and exhibitions, and the creation of joint ventures.

"Most importantly, [the agreement foresees] the creation of a joint intergovernmental commission on trade, which will study the opportunities for increasing the diversification of mutual relations," Mykolska said.

According to an Interfax-Ukraine reporter, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy made several proposals to support the bill or send it to the concerned committee for revision, but none of the proposals received the required number of votes. At least 226 votes are needed to make a positive decision.