On 24-27 July 2024, His Excellency Mr. Maris Sangiampongsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the 57^th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings (AMM/PMC), totaling 17 Meetings, in Vientiane, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

The meetings provided an opportunity to advance cooperation in the areas of mutual interests under the theme of Lao PDR’s Chairmanship, “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”. These areas include strengthening ASEAN Community building and regional integration, addressing climate change, maintaining Southeast Asia as nuclear weapon-free zone, and promoting human rights. Throughout these meetings, Minister Maris particularly prioritised issues benefitting Thailand such as maintaining regional peace, regional security and stability in line with the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP), promoting the digital economy, enhancing connectivity, advancing sustainable development, and fostering a people-centered ASEAN Community. He also pledged Thailand’s additional financial support of 250,000 USD to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) in support of ASEAN’s collective efforts to address the situation in Myanmar through the implementation of Five-Point Consensus.

Minister Maris also exchanged views on regional and international developments with Foreign Ministers and high-level representatives of 11 ASEAN Dialogue Partners and other participating countries/organisation in the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). As the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-Japan Dialogue Relations for 2021-2024, Minister Maris co-chaired the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with Japan alongside Her Excellency Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, before handing over the coordinatorship to Singapore. Thailand also assumed the coordinatorship for ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Relations from Vietnam for the next three years (2024-2027). In addition, Minister Maris, along with all attending Foreign Ministers, paid a joint courtesy call on His Excellency Mr. Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

During this period, Minister Maris also held 9 bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Norway, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and New Zealand, the ASEAN Secretary General, and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, to push forward bilateral relations as well cooperation in the areas of mutual interests.