รัฐบาลไทย-ข่าวทำเนียบรัฐบาล-PM urges ASEAN and Japan to continue to foster ‘heart to heart partnership’ while moving forward to deepen understanding and create trust
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 17 ธันวาคม 2566
PM urges ASEAN and Japan to continue to foster ‘heart to heart partnership’ while moving forward to deepen understanding and create trust
PM urges ASEAN and Japan to continue to foster ‘heart to heart partnership’ while moving forward to deepen understanding and create trust
December 17, 2023, at 1150 hrs (Tokyo, Japan local time) at Hotel Okura Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Srettha Thavisin delivered an intervention, as Country Coordinator for ASEAN-Japan Dialogue Relations for 2021–2024, during Session 2 (Working Lunch) of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation on “Heart to Heart Partners across Generation”. Government Spokesperson Chai Wacharonke disclosed gist of the Prime Minister’s intervention as follows:
According to the Prime Minister, “Heart-to-heart” partnership, forged through people-to-people from generation to generation, and educational and cultural exchanges, has served as the foundation of long-standing relations, nurturing strong bond, and promoting mutual trust and understanding. Japan has been Thailand’s trusted friend, especially friendship between people-to-people. The Prime Minister was of the view that in order to encourage true intergenerational cooperation, different values and attitudes of young people must be recognized, and creativity should be leveraged to promote relationships at the people-to-people level.
The Prime Minister mentioned the “Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program” which helps promote friendship between Japanese and ASEAN, including Thai, youths, and Japanese animation, which has captivated audiences across generations, inspiring creativity, enhancing cultural understanding and instilling positive values. On a personal note, the Prime Minister grew up watching Tiger Mask and the Specter-man, one of the world’s first superheroes, which inspired him and motivated many young people of his generation, to work towards a better and peaceful world.
Thailand recognizes the vast potential of such soft power and creative industries as a driver for growth. The country has a growing creative sector encompassing a wide range of activities, including design, fashion, food, film, music, performing arts, gaming and digital content creation. Thailand hopes to collaborate with Japan and ASEAN on creative industries, to generate, not only economic value, but also social value.
Cooperation on education and people-to-people exchanges, such as the Japan East-Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Programme, and the newly initiated Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation (WA Project 2.0), should also be strengthened to lay a solid foundation for future partnership. Thailand therefore welcomes Japan’s contribution of 40 billion yen toward these ends.
In closing, the Prime Minister urged ASEAN and Japan to continue to foster ‘heart to heart partnership’ while moving forward to deepen understanding and create trust across many generations to come.