On 12 May 2011, Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with 10 Muslim media representatives from Egypt, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Bashkortostan and Tatarstan (in the Russian Federation) and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) under the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), who participated in the “Media Familiarization Trip to Thailand Programme”, held from 8-13 May 2011.
On this occasion, Foreign Minister Kasit said that the programme would be beneficial in promoting an accurate understanding of Thailand’s economic and social conditions, particularly concerning issues involving the Southern border provinces which are considered to be of great interest to media of the Muslim world. The Foreign Minister also expressed hope that the programme could serve as a springboard for further cooperation between Thailand and the media representatives’ respective countries and organization.
The Foreign Minister reiterated that Thailand is an open society with freedom and respect of human rights. The Royal Thai Government has placed a strong priority in narrowing social discrepancies and has been working hard to eliminate discrimination against women and marginalized groups, as well as discrimination on the ground of religious differences. The Government has also consistently promoted the Thai people’s welfare. The Foreign Minister therefore took this opportunity to exchange views with the Muslim Media on various issues, such as Thailand’s assistance to Afghanistan.
The Media Familiarization Trip is a programme held annually by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the Ministry’s public diplomacy. The programme is designed to enhance understanding about Thailand for Muslim media representatives which would serve to strengthen the relations between Thailand and the Muslim world. This year’s activities included courtesy calls on the Prime Minister, the Chairman of Shiekhul Islam Office (in his capacity as the representative of the Sheikhul Islam of Thailand) and representatives from the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand. The programme also included visits to Thai businesses which could potentially engage with the Islamic world in trade and investment, for instance the Thai halal food industry. The visiting media also had the opportunity to visit the Southern border provinces (Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat), in order to see the true conditions of these area with their own eyes.
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