The Prime Minister of Thailand participated in the 23rd ASEAN Plus Three Summit highlighting cooperation with tangible results and pushing forward cooperation on public health security, sustainable economic security, and enhanced connectivity, as well as promoting a lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula.
 
On 14 November 2020, H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, participated in the 23rd ASEAN Plus Three Summit via videoconference. The Summit was chaired by the Prime Minister of Viet Nam and attended by the Leaders and Plus Three Countries (China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea). The Prime Minister delivered a statement highlighting cooperation with tangible results against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges in the international relations.
 
On sustainable public health security, the Prime Minister recognised progress in a number of areas of cooperation, including the contributions from the Plus Three Countries towards the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund and expressed hope that the Fund will be effectively utilised, especially in procurement and allocation of essential medical supplies and equipments as well as development of vaccines and medicines which could be equitably accessible to all countries. Thailand is committed to cooperate in formulating ASEAN Standard Operating Procedures in response to future public health emergencies and welcomed China’s initiative to set up an APT Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies for Public Health Emergencies. Thailand also proposed that the ASEAN Centre of Military Medicine should be utilised together with these mechanisms.
 
In the economic aspects, the Prime Minister suggested that sustainable economic security should be promoted for rapid economic recovery and strong foundation for economic growth. The Prime Minister also supported sustained economic integration and supply chain connectivity in the region, and invited the Plus Three Countries to support the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework, announced during the 37th ASEAN Summit. The Prime Minister urged all countries to revise and develop existing cooperative mechanisms in a more effective manner and to expedite to enhance the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralism through developing financial innovation, especially utilisation of digital economy and technology. In addition, the Prime Minister suggested utilisation of the APT Emergency Rice Reserve. He also promoted human capital development, particularly development of necessary skills for MSMEs and start-ups to enable them to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and prepare them to cope with the 4IR effectively.
 
The Prime Minister also supported enhancing seamless connectivity by building upon the implementation of the APT Leaders’ Statement on Connecting the Connectivities Initiative. Thailand will host a workshop on this matter. He also viewed that cooperation on digital connectivity will help build up the region’s competitiveness as a whole, and supported developing public-private partnership and engagement by all sectors.
 
Towards the end of his remarks, the Prime Minister reiterated Thailand’s strong commitment to promoting a lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula. Thailand supports processes of peaceful resolution and hopes to see progress in dialogue and a denuclearised Korean Peninsula, as well as emphasising the importance of full implementation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
 
The 23rd ASEAN Plus Three Summit adopted the APT Leaders’ Statement on Strengthening APT Cooperation for Economic and Financial Resilience in Face of Emerging Challenges.