On 28 March 2013, during his official visit to the Russian Federation, Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, met with Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and discussed a wide range of issues in the Thai-Russian bilateral relations.

On trade and investment, Foreign Minister Surapong proposed an ambitious target to double the annual trade volume between Thailand and Russia from 5 billion US dollars in 2012 to 10 billion US dollars in 2016.  He encouraged Russia to import more Thai goods, in particular agricultural products such as rice, rubber, canned fruits, frozen seafood, and frozen/processed chicken.  He also invited Russia to participate in the infrastructure projects to enhance domestic and regional connectivity to prepare for the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.

On education, the Foreign Minister called for more frequent and regular exchanges between Thai and Russian academic institutions.  He also asked Russia to consider giving Thai students the flexibility to choose which university to study at in Russia as well as their field of studies.  He also wished to see more Thai students going to study at leading universities in Russia.

On cooperation in science and technology, Foreign Minister Surapong encouraged relevant agencies to exchange their experts in research and conduct joint scientific projects, especially in the fields of nanotechnology and medical science.

Foreign Minister Surapong urged Russia to expedite the negotiation process of the pending bilateral agreements such as the MoU on Cooperation in the Sphere of Energy which will enhance Russia’s role in promoting energy security in Thailand and the region, and the draft Protocol to Amend the Bilateral Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments which will help facilitate and encourage two-way investments.  These agreements could be signed during high-level visits, especially during Prime Minister Yingluck’s official visit to Russia in mid-2013.

The Foreign Minister sought Russia’s support on Thailand’s candidature for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the term 2017-1018.  He also reiterated Prime Minister Yingluck’s invitation for Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, to pay an official visit to Thailand before or after the APEC Summit in Bali, Indonesia, at the end of this year.

After the conclusion of their discussion, both Foreign Ministers signed the Plan of Consultation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for the years 2013-2015.

Earlier on the same day, Foreign Minister Surapong led a group of senior executives from 6 science, technology, and innovation government agencies to meet Russia’s top scientists and researchers at the Russian Academy of Sciences to explore the possibility of enhancing collaboration and building a network between Thai and Russian science and technology agencies.

Foreign Minister Surapong stressed that the Royal Thai Government attaches great importance to the promotion of science, technology and innovations and therefore pursues “science diplomacy” with potential countries to enhance scientific and technological cooperation.  Such cooperation will also contribute to the strengthening of overall relations.

Foreign Minister Surapong’s visit to Moscow marked the first visit to the Russian Federation by a Thai Minister of Foreign affairs in 8 years.  This visit aimed at reviving high-level exchanges and preparing for Prime Minister Yingluck’s visit to Russia later this year, which would be an opportune time to upgrade the Thai-Russian relations to a strategic partnership.