Statement by Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand

Dr. Pichet Wangtepanukhor

at the 13th  Council of Ministers Meeting

of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

1 November 2013

Perth, Australia

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Madame Chair, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,

It is my pleasure and honour to participate in the 13th Council of Ministers Meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in Perth.

Allow me to first express our delegation’s appreciation to you and the Government of Australia for the excellent arrangements and warm hospitality extended to my delegation.

Excellencies,       

Our Association has come a long way since its inception in 1997. IORA has emerged as a dynamic grouping for promoting sustainable growth and balanced development in the Indian Ocean region.  Over the past 16 years, many useful activities have been organized to enhance collaboration and sharing experiences among Member States.

I wish to commend India and Mauritius for co-organizing the First Economic and Business Conference in Mauritius in July 2013, as well as the business-to-business meeting on the sidelines of the Conference.  It clearly demonstrates the significant role of entrepreneurs and private industries in promoting trade and investment in our region.

The offer by the United Arab Emirates to host the First Renewable Energy Ministerial Forum of the IORA in January 2014 is also very timely, as the global community is facing the rising challenge of energy security.  Meanwhile,  we should make an effort to promote an investor-friendly environment in the region to attract private sector participation in energy development.

There are many opportunities for even closer cooperation within our framework.  We should also look at what remains to be done to move the IORA forward.

I would like to share Thailand’s views on key issues for IORA cooperation.

Since the Indian Ocean shipping routes are vital to our economy.  There is a need to increase cooperation on information sharing and common maritime security measures to deal with security problems at sea.  The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium could be an appropriate forum for this purpose.

Thailand believes that building capacity can help address piracy at its root cause.  Therefore, we are considering offering technical assistance to Somali officers in any area of Somalia’s preference.  This is part of our Thai-Africa Initiative which we launched this year.

I am delighted to learn that the Action Plan for IORA Fisheries Support Unit (FSU) was approved by Senior Officials.  Thailand will work with the FSU in implementing the Action Plan.  If desired, we plan to organize a Training Programme on Aquatic Plants Culture Technology to promote better utilization of fisheries resources and protection of the environment in the Indian Ocean.

In view of the potential for enhancing connectivity, Thailand supports the development of port and harbor infrastructure in the Indian Ocean region.  Thailand and Myanmar have been working closely on the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Deep Seaport Project.  Once operational, it will create a strategic land bridge linking the South China Sea with the Indian Ocean.  IORA countries can certainly benefit from this project, especially through future port-to-port connections.

Next is disaster management.  My Government is determined to address the issue of natural disasters and destruction through floods and tsunamis.  To enhance our national capacity in dealing with water-related challenges, Thailand is investing 12 billion US dollars in a comprehensive water management system.

Given that the Asia and Pacific region is the most disaster-prone region in the world, Thailand will host the 6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Bangkok in June 2014.  Perhaps, we could explore the idea of cooperation between the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regional water commissions and disaster management centers in order to share expertise and related technologies.  We can make use of the Intergovenmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) which deals with climate change and early warning systems. This will help IORA countries be more resilient to natural threats and challenges.

Excellencies,

Another important area is trade and investment.  Closer cooperation among the investment promotion agencies and Chambers of Commerce in the IORA is crucial for enhanced regional trade relations.  They should be able to access information on investment opportunities in our region.  Furthermore, the capacity building of business entrepreneurs, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will help promote inclusive economic growth in the Indian Ocean countries.  As Thailand is focusing on supporting SMEs to become international traders, my Government has set up a 10 million US dollar fund under the SMEs Proactive project to support and develop SMEs in Thailand.  We could share our experiences with Member States.

On the issue of science and technology cooperation, Thailand is the world’s major producer and exporter of food products, as well as a pioneering country with respect to Halal science and research on its application to the food industry.  In this regard, the Ministry of Science and Technology of Thailand organized the International Seminar on Halal Standards, Halal Science and Technology and Halal Food Product Trade for IORA countries in Bangkok in March this year.  If desired, we are also considering the possibility to host an IORA Workshop on Research, Development and Regulation of Herbal Medicines next year.

Excellencies,            

For IORA to realize its full potential, we need more concrete and constructive proposals, both about the future work plan and the structure necessary for our framework to function effectively.  May I take this opportunity to compliment the Secretary-General of the IORA Secretariat and his staff for their hard work in support of our Association.

On our part, Thailand is committed to playing a constructive role in the IORA and will work closely with Member States to attain our common goals for sustainable development and shared prosperity of our region.  I also wish to reiterate Thailand’s willingness to host the 4th Bi-Annual Meeting of the Committee of the Senior Officials in 2014.

Thank you for your kind attention.