Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs co-chaired and delivered opening remarks for the 6th Roundtable of ASEAN-India Network of Think-Tanks (AINTT) at which he underlined support for strengthening ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership as well as support for connectivity, human security and public health cooperation to cope with COVID-19.

 

On 20 August 2020, H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, co-chaired the Inaugural Session of the 6th Roundtable of ASEAN-India Network of Think-Tanks (AINTT) via video conference, together with H.E. Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, and H.E. Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN. The Roundtable brought together think-tanks, business sector, and media to exchange their views on ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations under the theme “ASEAN-India: Strengthening Partnership in the Post COVID Era”. 

 

In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasised the “value of sharing” in taking forward ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership against the backdrop of COVID-19 and shifting geo-political landscape. To this end, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs proposed 5 areas of cooperation between ASEAN and India, namely (1) supply chain and infrastructure connectivity, including through the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway Project, (2) human security in all dimensions, especially public health cooperation as well as research and development of anti-viral medicines and vaccines, (3) academic network to enhance human capital development, (4) regionalism, including through economic cooperation and sub-regional cooperation, such as Ayeyawady-Chopraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), and (5) environmental sustainability, particularly maritime environment and disaster management, to ensure the balance between economic development and environmental agenda. 

 

The 6th AINTT was co-organised on 20-21 August 2020 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and the Ministry of External Affairs of India, in partnership with India’s Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and the ASEAN Studies Center (ASC), Chulalongkorn University. The Roundtable was attended by more than 400 participants. The discussions focused on 5 key topics of strategic interest under ASEAN-India relations, including (1) Changing Landscape of Global Order and ASEAN-India Relations in the Post COVID-19 Era, (2) Emerging Value Chains: Opportunities for ASEAN and India in the Post COVID-19 Era, (3) New Normal and Promoting ASEAN-India Partnership in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), (4) ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI): Complementarities and Cooperation, and (5) Way Forward for ASEAN-India relations.

 

Speeches : Opening Remarks by H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand at the Inaugural Session of the 6th ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks (AINTT) on “ASEAN-India: Strengthening Partnership in the Post COVID Era” Thursday, 20 August 2020