On the 30th of August 2017, H.E. Mr. Virasakdi Futrakul, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Carlos Castaneda, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Integration and Economic Promotion of the Republic of El Salvador, and H.E. Mrs. Patti Londoño, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia, on the margins of the 8th Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FEALAC FMM 8) in Busan, Republic of Korea.
The bilateral meeting with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Integration and Economic Promotion of the Republic of El Salvador was conducted in a friendly atmosphere with both sides congratulating each other on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. He also expressed his gratitude for Thailand’s technical cooperation through the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA). On the same occasion, Thailand and El Salvador signed the Agreement on Visa Exemption for holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports, which was the first agreement signed between the two countries.
The Deputy Foreign Minister’s meeting with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia also took place in a constructive manner. Thailand and Colombia reiterated their commitment to cooperating in various sectors such as agriculture, tourism and combating organized crime. Thailand and Colombia have long supported each other in the multilateral arena. On this occasion, Colombia also accepted Thailand’s invitation to attend the 2nd Meeting of Bilateral Consultations in Bangkok in late 2017. The meeting will further enhance cooperation across various sectors of mutual interest.