On 8 May 2009, H.E. Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs co-chaired the inaugural Thailand-Australia Joint Commission (JC) on Bilateral Cooperation with the Honourable Stephen Smith, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, during his official visit to Australia upon the invitation of the latter.
Australian Foreign Minister assured that Australian Government’s understanding of the political situation in Thailand and that Australia remains Thailand’s good friend and warm partner.
During the JC, both sides discussed extensive ranges of issues, bilateral, regional, and global. On bilateral front, both ministers reviewed the deep and broad bilateral ties and noted close cooperation in trade and investment, security, defence, education, and people-to-people exchanges. They also agreed to cooperate further, particularly on Research and Development (R&D). The Ministers noted the success of the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) and welcomed the recent signing of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA). Foreign Minister Kasit also briefed the Australian Foreign Minister on the developments in the Southern Border Provinces and welcomed the Australian offer to provide one million Australian dollars for training in English, Science, and Maths for Thai teachers in Southern Thailand.
On regional issues, both sides stressed the importance of the continued joint efforts to address regional challenges such as irregular migration under Bali Process and disaster preparedness. They also discussed regional developments such as Thailand’s role as ASEAN Chair, East Asian Summit, and the future regional architecture in the Asia-Pacific.
Both ministers stressed the commitment to work closely in the multilateral and regional fora, particularly the United Nations, etc. Peacekeeping operations and disaster management were among topics discussed to which both ministers agreed to explore more cooperation in these areas, through ASEAN framework.
After the conclusion of the Joint Commission, both ministers held a joint press conference.
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