Thai representatives attend Apec business advisory council meeting in Singapore

The first Apec Business Advisory Council (Abac) meeting for 2022 is being held from February 15 to 18 at the Resorts World Sentosa Convention Centre with 300 participants from 21 economic territories of the Asia-Pacific region.

Suphan Mongkolsuthee, chairman of the advisory council, said the first Abac meeting this year is being held in hybrid format – both onsite meeting and online conferences.

Suphan said Thai representatives, who attended the meeting in Singapore, included Dr Poj Aramwattananont, deputy chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and Kasemsit Pathomsak, deputy secretary-general of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. Poj attended the meeting as an Abac Thailand member and chairman of the Apec CEO Summit 2022 and chairman of the working committee preparing the Apec CEO Summit. Kasemsit is a member of the Apec CEO Summit working committee.

According to Suphan, the Abac meeting was kicked off by Gan Kim Yong, Singapore’s Trade and Industry minister. The meeting was chaired by Suphan.

Suphan said the Abac members also held a meeting with officials of the Apec’s Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM). This year, Thanee Thongphakdee, permanent secretary at the Foreign Ministry who chairs the SOM 2022, attended the meeting with Abac members under the topic “Free Trade Agreement of the Asia-Pacific.

Suphan said the meeting discussed the issue of sustainability in the bio, circular, green economy.

Suphan said Abac’s Region Economic Integration committee held a meeting in the afternoon of the first day.