Don welcomed US Congressional Delegation, strengthening cooperation between two countries
On August 22, Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand met with the US Congressional delegation, led by Congresswoman Young Kim (R-California), Chairwoman of the US House Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific.
The meeting was joined by Congressman Andy Barr (R-Kentucky) and Congresswoman Jasmine Felicia Crockett (D-Texas), during their visit to Thailand on August 22 - 23, 2023, as part of their regional tour.
This visit to Thailand by the US bipartisan Congressional delegation provides an opportunity for the Thai side to strengthen Thailand - US strategic partnership through cooperation with the US legislative branch, which plays an important role in US foreign policy.
During the discussion, both sides underscored the importance of the long-standing alliance and comprehensive cooperation between Thailand and the US, as well as the diplomatic relations between the two countries, which mark the 190th anniversary this year.
They discussed productively how to strengthen partnerships in areas of common priorities, such as defence and non-traditional security, two-way economic exchanges and supply chain resilience, as well as promoting people-to-people ties through education and tourism.
Both sides also exchanged views on key regional developments and discussed cooperation under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), in which Thailand will host the next negotiation round of IPEF in Bangkok in September 2023.
On this occasion, Don invited the Congressional delegation to join the US-Thai Alliance Caucus, recently established in the U.S. Congress. The Caucus serves as a platform to support Thailand-US cooperation and issues beneficial to the Thai communities in the US
Following the discussion, the US Congressional Delegation attended a Business Roundtable, organised by the Thai Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington. The delegation exchanged views with leading Thai business executives on promoting more trade and investment, including opportunities for Thai businesses in the U.S., as well as potential cooperation on supply chains in critical sectors such as electric vehicles (EVs), semiconductors, and rare minerals.
