On 13 July 2009, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland, the Ambassador of New Zealand, and representatives of Forum Asia paid courtesy calls on Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Jerzy Bayer, the new Polish Ambassador to Thailand, paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Kasit on the occasion of his assumption of duties in the Kingdom. Ambassador Bayer said he would promote bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries during his term in Thailand, especially in trade and investment in medium sized enterprises. Foreign Minister Kasit invited Poland to invest in joint ventures with Thailand in musical instruments, biotechnology, and research.
Later, a group of regional civil society representatives from Forum Asia called on the Minister to convey their concerns regarding the absence of a protection mandate and the appointment of independent experts in the draft Terms of Reference (TOR) on the establishment of the ASEAN human rights body, which is due to be finalized and adopted at the 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Phuket.
In the evening of the same day, Mr. Brook Barrington, New Zealand Ambassador to Thailand, paid a courtesy call on the Foreign Minister to bid farewell upon the completion of his term in the Kingdom. Both sides discussed the result of the 1st Thailand-New Zealand Joint Commission Meeting held on 10 July in Auckland. They agreed that the meeting was constructive and a good opportunity for both sides to strengthen bilateral relations through cooperation in one another’s areas of strength, such as education and research, environment, food and agricultural technology, and alternative energy. After the meeting, the Foreign Minister hosted a farewell dinner in honour of Ambassador Barrington.
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