วันอังคารที่ 3 พฤษภาคม 2565
Prime Ministers of Thailand and Japan agree to further enhance cooperation in all dimensions
Prime Ministers of Thailand and Japan agree to further enhance cooperation in all dimensions
May 2, 2022, at 1600hrs, at the Government House, Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha welcomed H.E. Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan on occasion of the Japanese Prime Minister’s official visit to Thailand.
The official welcoming ceremony was held with the review of honor guards at the lawn in front of Thai Khu Fah Building, followed by the Japanese Prime Minister’s signing of the Government’s guest book. Both sides attended the constituency meetings at the Inner Ivory Room, followed by a plenary meeting, held at 1650hrs at Bhakdi Bodin Building.
The Thai and Japanese Prime Ministers discussed issues of mutual concern. The bilateral meeting was participated by the Thai delegation, comprising Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Supattanapong Punmeechaow, Minister of Finance Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Anucha Nakasai, and Prime Minister’s Secretary-General Distat Hotrakitya.
Government Spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana disclosed gist of the meeting as follows:
The Prime Minister expressed pleasure and honor to welcome the Japanese Prime Minister and delegation on an official visit to Thailand. Thailand and Japan have become close strategic partners for over 10 years. This official visit of the Prime Minister of Japan would reinvigorate the two sides to propel the next phase of relations and cooperation. The Prime Minister proposed that relations of the two countries be elevated to “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”.
The Prime Minister of Japan thanked the Thai Government and people for the warm welcome, and expressed pleasure to meet the Thai Prime Minister once again after their last meeting in 2016. On occasion of the 135th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Japanese Prime Minister affirmed Japan’s commitment to continue to forge close and cordial relations with Thailand at all levels, from the royal family to people-to-people levels. He also agreed with the Thai counterpart on the elevation of relations to comprehensive strategic partnership, and proposed that the two countries consider increasing close cooperation on important issues toward tangible results, especially on the response to COVID-19 pandemic, security and judicial cooperation, and economic cooperation for the future.
The Thai and Japanese Prime Ministers also discussed other important issues of cooperation as follow:
On economic cooperation, the two Prime Ministers agreed on expediting the drafting of the 5-Year Joint Strategic Plan on Thailand-Japan Strategic Economic Partnership, which would serve as a roadmap to steer forward Thailand - Japan relations in potential areas of interest. Thailand also endorsed Japan’s new initiative of “Asia-Japan Investing for the Future (AJIF)”, under which Japanese investors may use Thailand, especially the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), as regional investment base in targeted industries, e.g., electric vehicles or EVs. The Japanese Prime Minister acknowledged Thailand’s potential as Japan’s most important investment base in the Southeast Asian region, and affirmed the country’s continued manufacturing of vehicles and EVs in Thailand. Both parties also expressed readiness to promote human resource development cooperation through the establishment of more KOSEN Institutes in Thailand, and energy cooperation to achieve the target of Carbon Neutrality.
The Prime Minister thanked the Japanese Government for providing assistance and supports to Thailand in the latter’s effort to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 situation, which include donation of vaccines, oxygen concentrators, and vaccine storage equipment, and the provision of soft loan. He was of the view that the two countries enhance cooperation in healthcare to address the COVID-19 and other possible emerging diseases in the future, and extended his invitation to Japanese people to resume traveling to Thailand following the country’s ease of travel restriction from May 1 onward.
With regard to defense, security, and judicial cooperation, the two Prime Ministers were pleased with close security and military cooperation under bilateral and multilateral frameworks, with a view to promoting peace and prosperity in the region. On regional and international situations, Japan stands ready to forge close cooperation with Thailand and enhance constructive role at the sub-regional and regional levels, especially for the development of the Mekong sub-region. Under the ASEAN-Japan framework, the Japanese Prime Minister affirmed Japan’s commitment to cooperate with Thailand, the country coordinator for ASEAN-Japan Dialogue Relations during 2021 – 2024, and its readiness to host ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit in 2023. The two Prime Ministers also agreed upon enhancement of cooperation under various frameworks on the basis of mutual interest and intent to promote regional and global peace, security, and prosperity.
Regarding APEC, the Japanese Prime Minister expressed support of Thailand’s hosting of APEC 2022 under the theme “Open. Connect. Balance”, and the country’s BCG economic model. The Thai Prime Minister also affirmed his readiness to welcome Prime Minister Kishida on another visit to Thailand to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on November 18-19 this year. The two leaders also constructively exchanged views on important regional and international issues, including the situation in Ukraine and Myanmar.