On 21-22 May 2024, Mr. Paisan Rupanichkij, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary (ASEAN Senior Official - Thailand), headed the Thai Delegation to the 21^st ASEAN-Canada Dialogue in Ottawa, Canada. The meeting was co-chaired by Canada and Malaysia, as a country coordinator for ASEAN-Canada dialogue relations.

Thailand highlighted key areas to take ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership forward under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, particularly (1) human capital development to prepare our workforce for future industries; (2) sharing of best-practices on regenerative tourism through the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD) located in Bangkok; (3) enhancing people-to-people exchanges through promoting air connectivity as well as ease of travel through enhanced visa facilitation.

On this occasion, the Deputy Permanent Secretary also had a bilateral meeting with Mr. Weldon Epp, the Deputy Assistant Minister (Indo-Pacific), to exchange views on how to enhance cooperation between Thailand and Canada, particularly in trade and investment, including by reiterating the commitment to conclude the ASEAN-Canda FTA negotiations by 2025.  The Deputy Permanent Secretary also expressed Thailand’s appreciation of Canada’s support for Thailand’s application for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) membership and for Thailand’s candidature to the Human Rights Council for the term 2025-2027.

Moreover, the Deputy Permanent Secretary also met Mrs. Melanie Joly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, at the official Welcoming Reception hosted by Canada for ASEAN Senior Officials, and attended the briefing sessions on Cybersecurity and Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy presented by the government, private sector, and academia representatives of Canada.