On 8 August 2007, Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram, former Council Chairman of the Mekong Institute, and Mr. Tej Bunnag, Honorary Advisor of the Council Committee, and Mr. Narongchai Akrasanee, Steering Committee Chairman, together with Ambassadors of Myanmar, Vietnam and New Zealand as well as representatives from Embassies of Cambodia, Lao PDR and China witnessed the Signing Ceremony of the Agreement between the Government of Kingdom of Thailand and the Mekong Institute (MI). The said agreement was signed by Mrs. Chitriya Pinthong, Director-General of Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA), on behalf of the Royal Thai Government, and Dr. Suchat Katima, Director of the Mekong Institute (MI), for the establishment of the Mekong Institute to be an intergovernmental organization under the Thai law.