On 27 April, 2011, Mr. Tjaco Theo van den Hout, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands to Thailand, paid a courtesy call on Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the occasion of the latter’s completion of assignment, whereby both sides agreed to push forward cooperation in international law and water management between the two countries.
On this occasion, Foreign Minister Kasit thanked the Netherlands’ continued cooperation with Thailand in international law, as well as in development, democracy and governance. Ambassador Hout, in turn, praised the Foreign Ministry’s professionalism and welcomed the Thai Parliament’s decision on the accession of the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on 26 April 2011, adding that this demonstrated the significance Thailand places on maritime security.
Foreign Minister Kasit further stated that the Ministry still needs more officials who specialize in international law, especially in areas of emerging global issues, such as in ICT, trade and environment. He also elaborated on Thailand’s preparation in becoming a signatory nation to the Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED) and the need to have experts and know-how on the issue. In this regard, Ambassador Hout responded positively to Thailand’s request in sending experts in international laws to Thailand.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in water management, since Thailand and the Netherlands possess similar geographic characteristics, with economic areas situated on low plains and prone to floods. Ambassador Hout thereby recommended that, apart from readiness to provide humanitarian assistance, there should also be measures to prevent future floods.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th