วันอังคารที่ 30 พฤศจิกายน 2564
Statement by H.E. Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha (Ret.) Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand  at the Retreat Session of the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting  (ASEM Issues/ International and R
Statement by
H.E. Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha (Ret.)
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand
at the Retreat Session of the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM Issues/ International and Regional Issues)
on Friday, 26 November 2021
Statement by
H.E. Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha(Ret.)
Prime Ministerof the Kingdom ofThailand
at theRetreat Sessionof the 13thAsia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM Issues/ International and Regional Issues)
on Friday, 26 November 2021
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Mr. Chair, Your Majesty, Excellencies,
Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, oncewrotethat “moral virtue is a mean between two vices, the one being excess, the other deficiency”.This concept is not limited to just the field of morality and ethics, but can also be applied to development policy and the management of economic growth.
I believe that we all recognise the extreme lack of balance in the world and in the ways of humankind today. We do not have to look far to see this. We just have to look around us: the air that we breathe; the water that we drink; the food that we eat; the extreme climate events that were not the norm before -- indeed, they were infrequent – but have now become the norm; the gap between the haves and havenots, both between people and countries, is ever-widening; and today, as we enter the digital age, where competitive advantage is based on knowledge and information, which are things that the majority of people have insufficient and unequal access to. It should be clear that the imbalance in the world will become more intense in all areas if nothing is done to change or remedy this.
Important questions that we need to ask are therefore:how are we going to ensure balance in the post-COVID-19 world; and how are we going to manage the changes of the “Next Normal” world in order to prevent crises of this scale and consequence from happening? I see two great changes that we need to carefully manage so as to create balance, as follows:
Firstis the evolving global geopolitical landscape.Conflicts between the major powers have created imbalances in international relations.I wish to see all countries join hands in creating a truly conducive and enabling environment for cooperation.ASEM is indeed a platform where we can engage in discussions to reduce conflicts on the basis of international rules as well as the equal participation of all countries, no matter their size or economic heft. We do not wish to see miscalculation escalate into full-blown confrontation at the regional or global level. I thus wish to reiterate thatmultilateral dialogue based on equal partnership and the principle of the 3Ms, that is, mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual benefit, is essential for ASEM to thrive in the “Next Normal”.
Secondis climate change. The year 2020 was the hottest year on record for Asia and Europe. This phenomenon has, in turn, caused more intense and frequent natural disasters, pandemics, resource depletion, and food insecurity. All of this is a result of the imbalance between economic development and nature.I am of the view that ASEM, comprising countries that are diverse both economically and socially, shouldsupport one another in addressing the climate crisis through intensified cooperation on the exchange of green technology, enhancing green finance to aid the transition towards the use of clean energy, and reducing unnecessary energy use, all of which I spoke about at COP26.
On Thailand’s part, we have adopted the Bio-Circular-Green, or BCG, ecnomic model to advance our economy in a way that will safeguard both the ecosystem and human security. This is Thailand’s national development agenda. It will also be incorporated as one priority agenda item under Thailand’s Chairmanship of APEC next year. The BCG economic model prioritises the balance across all sectors in the economy and society in a concrete manner so that economic growth and development are sustainable, secure and inclusive.
The instability of global geopolitics as well as environmental degradation and thedeterioration of living conditions for many that I have touched on are all man-made. Humankind, therefore, has the noble duty to rectify the mistakes that it has made.I believe that changing the way we do things is a matter of changing our mindset about how we share this earth as well as raising awareness about the need to ensure a balance of all things. It will not be easy, but it can and must be done, for the survival of our planet and humanity.
Thank you. Sawasdee krub.
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