On 10 -11 January 2020, H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain. During this visit Foreign Minister Don had a bilateral meeting with H.E. Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohamed Al Khalifa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain on 10 January 2020.

 

Both Foreign Ministers reiaffirmed the long-standing bonds of friendship between the two Kingdoms which over the recent years has been further strengthened, owing to increased interactions at all levels. The Thai Foreign Minister expressed Thailand’s readiness to convene the 4th High Joint Commission (HJC) between the two countries during the second half of this year. The HJC is an important forum for both sides to explore, discuss and enhance interaction in all areas of bilateral cooperation. The previous HJC was held in Bahrain in 2018 which identified four areas of strategic cooperation namely trade and investment, food security, public health and energy security, resulting in the upcoming opening of the Thai Mart in Bahrain in March 2020. The Bahraini Foreign Minister also proposed to host the 2nd Mid-Year Review meeting which will serve as a follow-up mechanism to produce tangible results.

 

Both sides also discussed issues relating to peace, security and stability in the Middle East amidst the current heightened tension in the region, in particular on how ASEAN can contribute to the peace-building efforts in the Middle East region following Bahrain’s recent accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) --- the fourth country in the region to do so --- during the 35th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Thailand last November. Both sides shared the view on the urgent need to de-escalate the tension through collective action and confidence-building measures by the international community.