On 24-26 February 2020 H.E. Ms. Karntimon Ruksakiati, Ambassador of Thailand to Norway, and the delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand led by H.E. Mr. Anan Suwannarat, Permanent Secretary, represented Thailand in the 2020 Svalbard Global Seed Summit and the Seed Deposit Ceremony at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV), organized by the Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NordGen). This event was attended by H.E. Mrs. Erna Solberg, the Prime Minister of Norway, and representatives from 36 Gene Banks around the world coming to store the seeds of vegetation from their countries in the SGSV.

                    The cooperation was initiated by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn when she visited the SGSV in 2013 and deposited samples of Vigna Beans at the Vault. The close collaboration between Thailand and Norway through NordGen has been continuing since then, which reflects Thailand’s vision and policy on promoting biodiversity and food security within the context of the UN SDGs.