Thai Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Attends BRICS Forum in India, Pushing Clean Energy and E-commerce

Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sihasak Phuangketkeaw, led the Thai delegation to the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India. On the first day of his visit, he met with leading Thai private companies operating in India to discuss opportunities and obstacles. He also held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Belarus and the Philippines, as well as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). According to the Director-General of the Department of Information and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Jaithai Upakarnittigij, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister attended the BRICS meeting as a representative of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, following an invitation from the Indian Prime Minister. Thailand's primary objective is to drive cooperation with the BRICS group as a partner nation and to foster collaboration with developing countries, collectively known as the Global South. This aims to advance shared interests, particularly in addressing various challenges within the context of a volatile global situation. Furthermore, this participation is part of promoting economic diplomacy, focusing on issues Thailand deems important, such as enhancing economic connectivity, strengthening supply chains, and bolstering food and energy security. During his visit, the Deputy Prime Minister also met with Thai private sector representatives in India. Ms. Jaithai stated that these meetings are part of the economic diplomacy efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote trade and investment opportunities and to listen to any existing obstacles. Government agencies are tasked with helping to create an environment conducive to business operations. In this meeting, several companies provided interesting information and perspectives. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will relay these insights to relevant agencies and support the resolution of any ongoing issues. Key business groups from Thailand participated in this discussion. These included representatives from the energy sector, such as GPSC, an electricity and energy company within the PTT Group that develops and operates renewable energy projects across India and plans to expand into Data Centers. The SCG group, including SCG International, SCG Chemicals, and SCG Packaging, aims to expand its market base for industrial products, packaging, and construction innovations. Dees Supreme, under MQDC, intends to push Thai consumer goods into India's large e-commerce market, recognizing the growth potential for Thai products. On the same day, Mr. Sihasak held a bilateral meeting with Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Maksim Ryzhenkov. The spokesperson indicated that the discussion aimed to follow up on Thailand's efforts to push for progress in commencing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between Thailand and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Previously, the Deputy Prime Minister had promoted this issue during his visit to Russia, and as Belarus is a member of the EAEU, Thailand requested Belarus's support for the early start of negotiations. Both sides also agreed to strengthen relations through bilateral consultation mechanisms, promote trade and investment, and enhance connectivity. Regarding the bilateral meeting with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Maria Theresa P. Lazaro, Ms. Jaithai stated that it focused on strengthening cooperation within the ASEAN framework, with the Philippines serving as ASEAN Chair this year. They also discussed developments concerning the situation in Myanmar, following Thailand's hosting of an informal meeting for ASEAN Foreign Ministers to meet with the Myanmar Foreign Minister in July. Finally, a meeting was held with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to exchange views on the global economic situation and the multilateral trading system. Both sides emphasized the importance of maintaining the strength of the rules-based multilateral trading system in a changing global context. Information Source: INN News