The Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand strengthened cooperation in various areas with Pakistan and expressed Thailand’s readiness to conclude Thailand – Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (PATHFTA) in the 2nd Thailand – Pakistan Political Consultations, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Pakistan in 2021

On 19 May 2021, H.E. Mr. Thani Thongphakdi, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, co-chaired the 2nd Thailand – Pakistan Political Consultations with H.E. Mr. Sohail Mahmood, Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, via video conference. The meeting coincides with the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Pakistan in 2021 and agreed on the 70th anniversary logo to be used in commemorating activities in both Thailand and Pakistan throughout the year.

The Political Consultation serves as a platform for both sides to exchange views and strengthen cooperation on issues of mutual interests. Both sides expressed satisfaction on the progress made by various sectors of collaborations in the recent years, especially on the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation between Thailand and Pakistan on 5 March 2021. They reiterated commitment to further promoting cooperation in many areas, including non-traditional security, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, consular affairs and education.

The Meeting also highlighted the importance of collaborating on trade and investment as an important factor to alleviate the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, both sides expressed their readiness to conclude Thailand – Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (PATHFTA) in the near future.

The Meeting also discussed regional issues and matters pertaining to cooperation at the multilateral fora, such as ASEAN, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the United Nations.

On this occasion, both sides agreed to further strengthen the bilateral ties in the years to come through activities and exchange of visits as well as the possibility of organising Joint Economic Consultations (JEC) at the ministerial level on a mutually convenient date.