วันศุกร์ที่ 24 มิถุนายน 2565
​PM attends and delivers statement at 14th BRICS Plus Summit
​PM attends and delivers statement at 14th BRICS Plus Summit
June 24, 2022, at 19.00 hrs, at Bhakdi Bodin Building, Government House, Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha attended and delivered statement at the 14th BRICS Plus Summit (BRICS Plus High-Level Dialogue on Global Development) via a teleconference. The meeting was held under theme: “Foster a Global Development Partnership for the New Era to Jointly Implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, and attended by national leaders from 5 BRICS countries, and 13 EMDCs (Emerging Markets and Developing Countries), comprising Algeria, Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Iran, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Malaysia, and Thailand in its capacity as host of APEC 2022. Government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana disclosed gist of the Summit as follows:
President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China, as chair of the meeting, delivered an opening speech to emphasize the meeting objective, which is to reinforce cooperation in responding to new and original forms of security threats, promoting sustainable development and stable recovery of the global economy, and strengthening multilateralism and global governance, among others. According to President Xi, the Summit also aims to foster global partnership for development in a comprehensive, balanced, equal, and unified manner. Chinese president mentioned that the development would create stability. We need to build strong confidence, trust and determination in the implementation of development. Elements that lead to balance development are innovation and a digital low carbon economy. Development partnerships need to be strongly built for all people’s benefit.
In his statement, the Prime Minister expressed honor to attend the BRICS Plus Dialogue once again, and commended China for its BRICS Plus initiative in reaching out to Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs) during these turbulent times as uneven post-pandemic recovery prospects have been further exacerbated by man-made catastrophes, whether it be food insecurity, climate crisis, surging inflation, or skyrocketing fuel, fertilizer and commodity prices that hit the poorest the hardest. These conditions have created a “perfect storm of crises” that further worsens the already fragile SDGs progress in EMDCs. Thus, it is more important than ever to work together to address these challenges through revitalizing multilateralism towards greater (1) resilience; (2) balance; and (3) equity.
The Prime Minister, then, proposed three ideas on how constructive partnership between BRICS and EMDCs can chart a way forward for a steady economic recovery anchored on respect for rules-based international order and good governance:
First, multilateralism must be revitalized towards greater resilience to effectively navigate and respond to the challenges of today and tomorrow. All countries must join hands to refrain from food export bans in a manner inconsistent with WTO rules. As one of the world’s largest food producers and exporters, Thailand will invest in ensuring seamless delivery of food and essential goods to those in need. In doing so, supply chain resilience must be strengthened and connectivity must be enhanced in all dimensions. Thailand looks forward to working with BRICS partners through ACMECS, ASEAN and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to scale up investment in creation of emerging technologies and enhance cross-border interoperability of digital, transport and energy infrastructure.
Second, Thailand firmly believes that multilateralism must be balanced in all dimensions. Steps must be taken to reform multilateralism and build a new paradigm to forge a balanced partnership for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The country strives to make post-pandemic growth more balanced by shifting mindset and behavior towards responsible business practices, transforming waste into wealth, and investing in zero-emission vehicle transition. This reflects how Thailand’s embracing of Bio, Circular and Green Economy Model towards the “Balance of All Things” for a sustainable and inclusive future indeed shares the same DNA as China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI) in many facets. Thailand and China’s common aspiration is rooted in the efforts to usher in people-centered prosperity, tackle inequalities, and maintain harmony between human and nature.
The Prime Minister expressed hope that the shared values of openness and inclusivity will be the building blocks for effective South-South and Triangular Cooperation for years to come, so as to deliver tangible progress on technology transfer of clean energy transition and capacity-building for green future. Thailand as the ASEAN Coordinator on Sustainable Development Cooperation remains committed to further playing a constructive role in promoting activities in this area under the ASEAN-China Years of Sustainable Development in 2021-2022.
Lastly, multilateralism must be inclusive to build a more equitable economic governance, bridge the global divide, and promote win-win cooperation that leaves no one behind. Thus, Thailand joins the chorus of calls for urgent reform of the international financial institutions to enhance greater participation by the Global South in macroeconomic policy coordination. BRICS should be commended for its milestone creation of New Development Bank, which is a testament to the spirit of South-South solidarity. Meanwhile, the very same crisis is also an opportunity to reflect on how to strengthen resilience to future uncertainties by boosting use of national currencies in transactions, integrating cross-border payment systems, and building a fairer tax system against growing polarization.
In closing, the Prime Minister affirmed Thailand’s support of China’s initiative on formalizing BRICS Plus engagement with EMDCs in building a global development partnership and a peaceful environment conducive to effective de-escalation of conflicts. As APEC Host and BIMSTEC Chair, Thailand stands ready to play its part in building bridges of cooperation from the Indian to the Pacific Ocean for shared prosperity of the people and future generations.