Minister of Foreign Affairs attended AMM Retreat in Vientiane

            On 26-27 February 2016, H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat) in Vientiane, Lao PDR. The Retreat consisted of 2 sessions as follows:

           Session 1: ASEAN issues and priorities under Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2016

           The Ministers reiterated their continued commitment to promoting a truly people-centred ASEAN Community. Thailand also underlined the importance of an inclusive community where no one is left behind and the development gap is bridged.

            Agreeing to Thailand’s view that sustainable development should be a priority in ASEAN community building efforts and should be in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Thailand was tasked to coordinate between ASEAN and the UN’s related bodies in driving the sustainable development agenda in the region.

           The Ministers agreed to further expedite both physical and regulatory connectivity within the region to create a true single market and production base. At the same time, ASEAN Member States should also be prepared for emerging challenges from increasing connectivity such as border management, transnational crimes and cyber security.

           The Ministers discussed on ways to ensure effective implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and urged all Member States to incorporate the Vision into their respective national development plans.

           The Ministers supported the priorities under Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2016 which include the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, narrowing of the development gap, trade facilitation, SMEs development, connectivity, tourism development, jobs creation and preserving of ASEAN cultural heritage.

           Session 2: External Relations and ASEAN Centrality

           The Ministers highlighted the importance of ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture, where external parties have shown increasing interests in deepening their relations with ASEAN. In this regard, Thailand suggested for more effective coordination to ensure that ASEAN speaks in one voice with Dialogue Partners.

           Thailand, as the Coordinator for ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations, updated the Meeting about the preparation for the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) to be hosted by Thailand at the end of this year.

           The Ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues such as terrorism, natural disasters, climate change, irregular migration and recent developments in the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula, and the South China Sea.    

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