Mr. Juan Camilo Gaviria Betancur, Charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the Republic of Colombia to Thailand,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

  

Good evening and welcome to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tonight, we celebrate the auspicious occasion of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Republic of Colombia. So do allow me to begin by expressing our appreciation to the Embassy of the Republic of Colombia for the kind cooperation rendered in the organization of tonight’s event.

 

Since we have a full programme planned for you this evening -- of both speakers and presentations -- I will keep my remarks brief.  

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Thai-Colombian relations have grown from strength to strength in the past 40 years. The re-opening of the Embassy of the Republic of Colombia in Bangkok in 2013 helped to bring a dynamism to our cooperation in such areas as alternative development, natural resources and environment management, tourism and education. We also hold bilateral consultations at the deputy foreign minister level, which has helped to deepen cooperation and foster continued dialogue. And closer contacts at the people-to-people level have greatly contributed to deepening mutual understanding and trust between our two friendly nations.

 

Our engagement is wide-ranging, from innovation, natural resources, sustainable development, peace and security, to academic and cultural exchanges. Most recently, and as part of the special activities held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties, Colombia kindly offered Spanish language training to officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Thai government agencies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs truly appreciates such tokens of goodwill, which will help to bring our two peoples and cultures closer together.

 

At the regional and multilateral levels, Thailand and Colombia have been working closely together in pursuit of peace, prosperity and shared values. We work side by side within frameworks such as the Pacific Alliance, Organization of American States, the United Nations and the Forum for East Asia and Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC). In fact, FEALAC is marking its 20th anniversary this year, and Thailand remains committed to helping bring our two regions closer and to creating synergies by complementing each other’s strengths. 

 

Indeed, Thailand has just launched a mobile application called Discover Latin America to enhance public awareness in Thailand of Latin America and the Caribbean. The app is already proving to be a popular download. It is a mine of useful information, including travel tips, facts and figures about countries in the region, cultural knowledge, and also business opportunities, as you will see tonight in a video presentation.

 

In closing, if the past is any indication of the future, then the prospects for Thai-Colombian relations is bright. I have every reason to believe that, given our longstanding friendship and goodwill, the cordial ties that bind our two countries and peoples will continue to expand and grow by leaps and bounds over the next forty years and beyond.

 

May Thai-Colombian relations continue to prosper and grow.