On 8 June 2021, H.E. Mr. Thani Thongphakdi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the ASEAN Plus Three Senior Officials’ Meeting (APT SOM) via video conference. Senior Officials from the other ASEAN Member States and Plus Three Countries, H.E. Mr. Wu Jianghao, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, H.E. Mr. Yeo Seung-Bae, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Mr. Yamada Shigeo, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, as well as the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN, also attended the Meeting.

The Meeting reviewed the progress of the implementation of the APT Cooperation Work Plan 2018-2022 and discussed the negotiation on the new APT Cooperation Work Plan 2023-2027. The Meeting emphasised the importance of the APT as the main framework for functional cooperation in the region. Areas of cooperation include strengthening regional resilience in response to future challenges, including preparedness for public health emergencies and economic recovery, focussing on promoting supply chain resilience, digital economy, and human capital development, as well as sustainable development.

Thailand highlighted cooperation on public health, economic recovery, and sustainable development. Thailand reiterated the commitment to effective operationalisation of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED), as the Secretariat of the Centre will be located in Thailand. The Permanent Secretary also pushed forward advancing the Connecting the Connectivities Initiative and encouraged the Plus Three Countries to explore regional cooperation on Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model.

The Meeting also had an exchange of views on regional and international issues, including the situations in Myanmar, the South China Sea, and the Korean Peninsula.