On 22 July 2010, in Hanoi, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya co-chaired the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference (PMC) + 1 with Canada, which was held to review ASEAN-Canada cooperation, discuss its future direction as well as to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern.
In his opening address, Foreign Minister Kasit congratulated and welcomed Canada’s upcoming accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). He noted with satisfaction the progress of cooperation encompassing all aspects of their relationship, namely, political-security, economic and socio-cultural development, which reached another milestone with the adoption of the Joint Declaration on the ASEAN-Canada Enhanced Partnership at the PMC in Phuket, Thailand in 2009. In this connection, the Foreign Minister said he was pleased that the Plan of Action to implement the said Joint Declaration would be adopted at the Meeting, which would help translate the spirit of their cooperation into reality.
The Foreign Minister also said that he was encouraged that Canada had recently reinvigorated its engagement with ASEAN through the appointment of its Ambassador to ASEAN in Jakarta, the establishment of Canada’s ASEAN Network to increase its commercial and political presence in Southeast Asia and the anticipated conclusion of the ASEAN-Canada Trade and Investment Framework Arrangements (TIFA), in order to enhance economic cooperation and trade facilitation between both sides.
In addition to co-chairing the ASEAN PMC+1 with Canada, Foreign Minister Kasit also attended the ASEAN PMC+1 with China, Japan, the Russian Federation and with the United States, as well as participated in the Second U.S.-Lower Mekong Ministerial Meeting later in the day.
Throughout the same day, Foreign Minister Kasit also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Canada, India, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the Russian Federation, to discuss outstanding bilateral issues. Some of the issues raised included the exchange the high-level visits, the promotion of closer trade and economic ties, as well as assistance in terms of capacity building in such areas as science and technology and food safety, including the exchange of best practices in promoting the development of democratic principles and institutions.
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