On 10 November 2011, on the sidelines of the 23rd APEC Ministerial Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul held bilateral talks with Chilean Foreign Minister Alfredo Moreno Charme and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario. Gist as follows:
1. Bilateral meeting with Chilean Foreign Minister Alfredo Monero Charme
Foreign Minister Surapong reiterated the importance of the close ties between Thailand and Chile. As 2012 will mark the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the two countries, various activities will be organised to commemorate the event, including the issuance of commemorative Thai-Chilean stamps and the organisation of a Thai-Chilean film festival and a painting competition in Thailand with a Chilean theme.
Both countries also enjoy close economic ties, with their trade increasing significantly over the last five years. In 2010, two-way trade reached USD 819 million in 2010, an increase of 173.45 percent from the previous year. In 2009, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and the Office of Thai Trade Representative accompanied a group of Thai businessmen from various sectors such as the automotive industry, food processing and gems and jewelry to visit and explore business opportunities in Chile. The Thai-Latin America Business Council was also established during the visit. With regard to the Thai-Chile Free Trade Agreement negotiations which commenced in 2010 and already underwent three rounds of talks, both sides agreed that its completion next year would mark an important occasion in the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the two countries.
The Chilean Foreign Minister also expressed his condolences to the Government and people of Thailand regarding the flood situation. In return, the Thai Foreign Minister expressed his appreciation for Chile's contribution of USD 25,000 through the Thai Red Cross Society and informed his Chilean counterpart of the current situation.
2. Bilateral meeting with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alfredo Del Rosario
Foreign Minister Surapong express his regret that the Thai Prime Minister’s schedule visit to the Philippines had to be postponed due to the current flood situation in Thailand and reaffirmed the Prime Minister’s intention to pay a visit at the earliest opportunity.
The Thai Foreign Minister also expressed his condolences regarding the Nesat and Nalge typhoons which recently struck the Philippines. In response, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary expressed his appreciation as well as his condolences to the Government and people of Thailand regarding the flood situation in Thailand and reaffirmed the Philippines’ readiness to provide assistance. In this regard, both parties agreed to strengthen cooperation on natural disaster preparedness and mitigation by promoting more exchanges of experiences and best practices between the countries.
Both parties also expressed satisfaction with their overall relations, particularly in the areas of trade and investment. In 2010, Thai businesses invested around USD 36 million in the Philippines, which was welcomed by the Philippine side which also hoped that such investments would increase in the future. In this regard, the Thai Foreign Minister informed his counterpart that Thai companies have expressed interest in investing in the area of energy, particularly in natural gas and LNG. Both sides also agreed that the 5th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) would be held in the Philippines in 2012, which would provide both sides with the opportunity to discuss and further promote cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, energy, agriculture, education and drugs eradication.
The Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary also expressed appreciation to the Thai side for welcoming and taking care of Filipino expatriates living in Thailand. Many of these people were teachers who, because of the lesser number of years of their education compared to those of other nationalities due to different educational systems, receive lower salaries. The Philippine side has therefore sought the cooperation of the Thai side in extending similar recognition to those graduating from the Philippines, which is currently being considered by the Thai Ministry of Education.
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