BANGKOK, Thailand – The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Commerce co-chaired a meeting to enhance the integration of Thailand’s foreign and trade policies.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow and Minister of Commerce Suphajee Suthumpun led discussions at the Ministry of Commerce, joined by senior officials from both ministries.
The meeting focused on aligning foreign affairs and trade strategies to address global challenges. Priorities included managing geopolitical and geoeconomic risks, especially those related to the Middle East, and ensuring access to strategic imports such as oil and fertilizers.
The ministers discussed expanding into new and emerging markets to diversify trade risks and promoting “Science Diplomacy” to enhance Thailand’s competitiveness. They also highlighted the need for stronger coordination on high-level visits.
The ministers emphasized the importance of accelerating free trade agreement negotiations and advancing Thailand’s accession to the OECD to deepen economic partnerships.
The discussion addressed the need to strengthen inter-agency coordination under the “Team Thailand” approach, particularly in response to new global trade measures such as the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
The meeting aims to ensure Thailand’s foreign and trade policies are closely aligned and implemented in a unified, coherent manner. (NNT)
