Remarks by
His Excellency Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
at the Reception on the Occasion of
“Africa Day 2013, Bangkok”
18.30 hours, 16 May 2013
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangkok

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Excellencies,
African Ambassadors to Thailand,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good evening to all of you. For those of you who have flown in for this “Africa Day 2013 in Bangkok”, a very warm welcome to Thailand and to our Foreign Ministry.

I wish to firstly express my profound appreciation to Your Excellencies the African Ambassadors, both resident and non-resident, for the positive response and support to moving forward the Thai-African Initiatives.

 This event is all the more special as this month the African Union celebrates 50 years since the founding of its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity. 

I find the designation of 2013 as Year of Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance very appropriate as we continue to see positive changes happening in Africa today.
 
 Africa is rising, full of promises.

The “Hopeful Continent” has emerged as the fastest growing region in the world. We are confident that Africa is bound to achieve great stability, economic growth and sustainable development. Yet, challenges still remain for Africa, likewise for  Thailand and Asia.

And it is our collective responses and partnerships which will allow us to address these challenges, as well as to seek out opportunities for closer exchanges and linkages.

With shared experiences and common challenges, I believe Thailand and Africa are natural partners.

We are indeed amongst friends. And amongst friends, we can and should have a frank and productive discussion on how we can move towards a stronger partnership.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today marks a significant step forward in defining our long-term engagement with the African continent.

We plan to kickoff the process by hosting the “Thai-African High-level Dialogue” in November of this year. We hope to bring together leaders and high level ministers to provide political will and guidance in setting the roadmap for the Thai-African partnership.

The valuable comments shared today by our African friends will help us frame the objectives of our partnerships, which should harness our economic potentials and tackle development challenges. At the same time, such partnerships require us to work together to advance our common agenda at the global level.

Particularly at the United Nations, the voice of developing countries should be heard and recognized in addressing the interlocking issues of peace, security, and development. It is because of this objective that Thailand is seeking a non-permanent seat on the UNSC for the term 2017-2018 and we look forward to your support.

Excellencies,

Beyond economics, development, and our mutual efforts for global endeavours, our partnerships present an opportunity to reflect on the broader vision for an enhanced linkage between Africa and Asia.

I hope the High-level Dialogue later this year will shed light on how we can jointly build bridges between our two dynamic continents in order to promote synergies for further prosperity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On this note, I wish to propose a toast on the occasion of Africa Day, to the blossoming Thai-African partnership and to the success of Thai-African Initiatives.

Cheers!