On 19 August 2021, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai had an online meeting with Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid of Maldives. Both sides expressed their willingness to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries including post-COVID-19 recovery, trade and investment, health, tourism, culture as well as within the United Nations framework.  

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs congratulated the Maldivian Foreign Minister on his recent election as the President of the 76th General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) and reiterated readiness to support his new role. Minister Shahid stated that he would undertake his tenure as the “Presidency of Hope” and stressed his commitment to working to fulfill the main themes of this year’s General Debate, namely, “Building resilience through hope - to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalize the United Nations”.

The Maldivian Foreign Minister also express his gratitude to the Thai Government for granting scholarships to Maldivian students and providing assistance in combatting COVID-19 to the Maldives. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand encouraged both sides to resume the next meeting of the Thailand - Maldives Joint Trade Committee to help increase bilateral trade between the two countries.

It was mutually agreed that a channel of communication be maintained between both sides to ensure progress of all issues discussed.