From August 16-18, 2022, Union Minister Subrahmanyam (S.) Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India paid an official visit to Bangkok, Thailand to attend the 9th Meeting of India-Thailand Joint Commission (JCM) 2022.
- The meeting was co-chaired by MEA Minister S.Jaishankar along with Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.
- Notably, India’s 75th anniversary of India’s Independence also coincided with the 75th anniversary of establishment of India-Thailand diplomatic relations.
Key Highlights from JCM:
i.Discussions were held on the wide ranging issues of mutual interest and reviewed the progress made in various areas, including political, defence & security, economic & commercial, regional, multilateral, connectivity, cultural, tourism and people-to-people ties.
ii.Both sides also discussed cooperation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
iii.They also agreed to enhance cooperation on defence and security matters, including cyber-security, and the exchange of personnel and expertise.
- Under this, they decided to increase joint training and exercises in defence, and recognised the importance of further cooperation in ICT (Information and Communications Technology).
iv.India reiterated its commitment to a trilateral highway project of India-Myanmar-Thailand to boost regional connectivity.
v.The meeting enhanced bilateral relations in all dimensions including political security, economic trade and investment connectivity, social and cultural cooperation as well as strengthened regional and sub-regional cooperation, and revitalized bilateral relations after the COVID-19 pandemic.
vi.The JCM was preceded by the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) held on August 16, 2022.
vii.EAM along with Thailand’s DPM & Foreign Minister signed Agreed Minutes of JCM which will guide further course of bilateral relations.
Signing of MoUs:
After the meeting, both ministers also witnessed signing of the following two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs):
i.MoU on Health and Medical Research Cooperation between Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) of Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India; and Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) of Ministry of Public Health of Thailand.
ii.MoU for Cooperation & Collaboration on Broadcasting between Prasar Bharti, India and Thai Public Broadcasting Service, Thailand (Thai PBS).
Key Points:
i.EAM and Don Pramudwinai, jointly inaugurated the newly constructed Embassy Residence and Residential Complex in Bangkok.
ii.EAM called on Prayut Chan-o-Cha, the Prime Minister of Thailand and exchanged views on the key regional and global developments.
iii.EAM also addressed and interacted with the Indian Community in Thailand.
iv.He delivered a public talk on “India’s Vision of the Indo-Pacific” at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
Recent Related News:
i.The Industries & Commerce Department of the Government of Telangana and the Ministry of Commerce, the Royal Thai government have signed a MoU to promote trade and investments between Telangana and Thailand.
ii.Indian boxers bagged 10 medals at the 2022 Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament, which took place in Angsana Convention And Exhibition Space (ACES), Phuket, Thailand from 3 April 2022 to 9 April 2022. The Indian boxers secured 3 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze medals.
About Thailand:
India’s Ambassador to Thailand– Suchitra Durai
Currency– Thai Baht
Capital– Bangkok
