Australian foreign minister in Thailand next week to boost bilateral ties
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will be in Thailand on a two-day visit next week to sign pacts and enhance bilateral strategic ties.
She is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai on Tuesday to sign the Joint Plan of Action to Implement the Thailand-Australia Strategic Partnership 2022-2025. Don will also host an official dinner for Wong and her team on Tuesday evening.
The “joint plan of action” was developed from a joint declaration of the strategic partnership signed in November 2020, which covers:
- Political cooperation: Military, new forms of security and suppression of transnational crimes, including narcotics and human trafficking.
- Economic cooperation: The bio-circular-green economic model and digital economy.
- Sectoral cooperation: Public health, agriculture, education, science, technology and research, energy, environment and disaster management.
The Foreign Ministry said the Thailand-Australia cooperation will progress in line with Asean, Mekong Sub-Region and related multilateral frameworks to promote collective economic recovery as well as sustainable and inclusive growth.
On Wednesday, Wong is scheduled to pay a courtesy call to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan at Government House.
Also on her agenda is a meeting with Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin during which the two parties will sign a memorandum of understanding on further strengthening cooperation in fighting the trafficking of persons.
Wong will wrap up her visit with a short discussion at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) about Thailand and Australia’s ties and respective roles in the region.
This is Wong’s first visit to Thailand since assuming office in May.
