India and Thailand agree to strengthen partnership on trade and investment

Imparting a fresh momentum to New Delhi-Bangkok relations, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, who is on a four-day visit to India, on Tuesday co-chaired the 10th Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi.

During the JCM, the two Ministers reviewed progress in wide-ranging areas of bilateral cooperation, including in defence and security, trade and investment, connectivity, science and technology, health, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The two Ministers also exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

They expressed commitment to further enhance cooperation in sub-regional, regional and multilateral platforms especially within the framework of ASEAN, BIMSTEC, MGC, ACMECS and IMT-GT, the MEA said.

The two Ministers expressed their commitment towards strengthening India-Thailand partnership.

They also noted a convergence of the Act East Policy of India which is marking its 10th year in 2024, and the Act West Policy of Thailand.

EAM Jaishankar welcomed Thailand’s decision to co-lead the Maritime Ecology Pillar of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).

Both Ministers reaffirmed their resolve to work together to advance the initiative, the MEA maintained.

Thai Deputy PM and Foreign Minister expressed appreciation to India for sending the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha together with his two disciples, Arahata Sariputra and Arahata Maudgalyayana to Thailand for exposition which will give an opportunity to millions of Thai nationals to pay reverence.

During the JCM, following documents were signed/exchanged: (i) Agreed Minutes; and (ii) MoU between National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur of the Ministry of Ayush, India and Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine of the Ministry of Public Health, Thailand on the Establishment of an Academic Collaboration in Ayurveda and Thai Traditional Medicine.

Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara is on a maiden visit to India from February 25 to 28.

Earlier, he called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday in New Delhi and held discussions on issues such as civilisational links, cultural, linguistic and religious connections between the two countries.

Sharing a post on social media X, the Vice President’s office said, “Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs @drparnpreeb paid a courtesy call on Hon’ble Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas. Discussions underscored the existing civilizational ties, including cultural, linguistic and religious connections, on which the present-day India-Thailand robust partnership is based.”

India-Thailand partnership has expanded to diverse areas of cooperation and come to acquire multidimensional facets.

The visit of Thai Deputy PM and Foreign Minister to India is part of the on-going high-level exchanges and has contributed to further strengthening of the civilizational bonds between the two friends and maritime neighbours.