Summary of Weekly Press Briefing

Thursday, 27 October 2022 at 15.00 hours

Press Conference Room, MFA and via MFA Facebook Live

1. Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Jakarta (27 Oct 2022)

• DPM/FM participated in the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, discussing the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus and proposals to the ASEAN leaders at the upcoming Summit in Phnom Penh.
• H.E. Mr. Prak Sokhonn, DPM/FM of Cambodia, released the Statement of the Chair, highlighting the discussions on the Five-Point Consensus and ways to address the Myanmar situation. The Statement also attached importance to the resumption of the ASEAN-Myanmar engagements, the efforts to continue ASEAN Community building efforts without disruption, and the provision of humanitarian assistance to Myanmar. There was also a call for the early conclusion of the Joint Needs Assessment led by the AHA Centre.
• The Meeting reiterated ASEAN Centrality, Myanmar’s peaceful transition to normalcy, as well as the roles of the Cambodian ASEAN Chairmanship and DPM/FM of Cambodia as ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar.

2. Royal Kathina Ceremonies

• On 26 Oct 2022, VFM presided over the annual offering ceremony of the Royal Kathina Robes bestowed on MFA at Wat Phutthaisawan, Ayutthaya. Participants included MFA officials, provincial authorities, and other Buddhists.
• VFM and MFA executives also visited Anuban Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya School, which is also one of the Young Ambassadors of Virtue Foundation (YAVF) Alliance Schools. MFA also awarded financially disadvantaged students YAVF scholarships for their exemplary academic performances.
• On 29 Oct 2022, DPS Sarun will preside over the offering ceremony of the Royal Kathina Robes at Binajuri Smashan Vihara of Chattogram, Bangladesh. The Head of the Thai delegation will meet Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, call on FM of Bangladesh, and join a seminar on the 50^th of the Thailand-Bangladesh relations during 30 – 31 Oct 2022.

3. The 29^th APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) (19 – 20 Oct 2022)

• MOF hosted the 29^th APEC FMM chaired by the Finance Minister at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC). Attendees included APEC Fin Mins as well as representatives from the int’l organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG), Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and APEC Policy Support Unit (APEC SPU). The meeting discussed economic outlooks, sustainable finance, and digitalization under the theme “Advancing Digitalization, Achieving Sustainability.”
• The Chair Statement highlighted: (1) challenges to the global and regional economy; (2) sustainable finance; (3) digitalization; (4) the implementation of the Cebu Action Plan; and (5) other issues, such as disaster risk financing and insurance (DRFI) and intersectoral cooperation in high-quality infrastructure development.
• The Meeting also acknowledged the drafting of six documents as concrete manifestation of the APEC cooperation in economic development, finance, and fiscal measures, advancing the collective efforts towards sustainable and eco-friendly growth.

4. FM of Australia to visit Thailand (1 – 2 Nov 2022)

• Hon. Penny Wong, FM of Australia, is scheduled to have a bilat meeting with DPM/FM on 1 Nov 2022 and a call on PM on 2 Nov 2022.
• DPM/FM and FM Wong will sign the Joint Plan of Action to Implement the Thailand-Australia Strategic Partnership 2022-2025, which has been developed from the collective premier signing of the Joint Declaration on Thailand-Australia Strategic Partnership on 13 Nov 2020. Areas of cooperation are as follows: 
  • 1) Political cooperation (e.g., military and new forms of security, and suppression of transnational crimes, narcotics, and trafficking in person);
  • 2) Economic cooperation (e.g., the BCG economy and digital economy);
  • 3) Sectoral cooperation (e.g., public health, agriculture, education, science, technology and research, energy, environment, and disaster management)
• Such bilat cooperation will progress in line with ASEAN, Mekong sub-Region, and related multilateral frameworks to promote collective economic recovery as well as sustainable and inclusive growth.
• FM Wong and Justice Minister of Thailand will also sign an MOU concerning Counter Trafficking in Persons Centre of Excellence to strengthen collective efforts against human trafficking.
• FM Wong’s inaugural visit to Thailand is a testimony to the cordial Thailand-Australia ties and cooperation as strategic partners, marking the 70^th of the bilat relations.

5. “The Muslim World: A Royal Perspective”

• MFA has been granted royal permission from HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to publish an electronic photo book titled “The Muslim World: A Royal Perspective.” This special publication features a selection of photographs HRH took during her visits to various Islamic countries and Muslim communities in Thailand between 2003-2012.
• This book aims to present a multifaceted reflection, through HRH’s vision and comprehension of the lives and cultures of Muslims in different countries, whether in aspects of religion, culture, architecture, and history, to expand and enrich the readers’ understanding of the Muslim world.
• These photographs bear witness to some of the many royal duties having been continuously carried out by HRH, in particular, to foster friendly relations between Thailand and Islamic countries, and to promote well-being of the Thai people in every corner of the Kingdom, regardless of their religions or ethnicities.
• The electronic photo book is accessible via the following URL: https://bit.ly/3TusYHv.

6. The Official Launch of APEC Communication Partners (25 Oct 2022)

• MFA hosted the official launch of the 2022 APEC Comm Partners and the APEC 2022 Thailand fleet vehicles at Vithes Samosorn Hall, MFA., presided over by DPM/FM, the events were attended by more than 200 people, including representatives from the public and private sectors, social enterprises, and the press.
• The Info Dept. has forged partnerships with private and civil sectors in the form of APEC Comm Partners to collectively raise public awareness of APEC2022 through various channels. These included publishing APEC introductory contents on various social platforms, incorporating the APEC logo into their products, as well as providing venues for APEC public events. During the APEC Econ Leaders’ Week (AELW) in November, the APEC Comm Partners Exhibition will also be organized to showcase technology, products, and innovations under the BCG theme at the Media Center, QSNCC.

7. APEC media arrangements

• The LAST DAY for media registration for APEC Leaders’ Week is 31 Oct 2022.
• Please submit the following information to [email protected]: (1) full name, (2) email address, (3) media agency, and (4) letter of employment (issued by your agency). After your email is approved, the Secretariat Team will reply with guidelines to complete your registration on the APEC 2022 Media Portal.
• Registration is limited to one request per account and will be available till 31 Oct 2022.
• For more information on media accreditation, media badge collection, and media booth reservation, among others, please visit https://www.apec2022.go.th/media-kit/.

8. Work & Travel Advisory in African countries and Afganistan

• Regarding the recent rescue of an abducted Thai in Mali, MFA wishes to warn Thais to be cautious about local crimes, political instability, and illegal work scams in 13 African countries, namely Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Gabon, Cabo Verde, Liberia, and Niger, as well as Afghanistan.
• For more information, please contact:
  • Dept. of Consular Affairs Call Center
    • 02 572 8442
  • RTE, Dakar
    • Email: [email protected]
    • Facebook: Royal Thai Embassy – Dakar, Senegal
  • RTE, Islamabad
    • Email: [email protected] 
    • +92 51 843-1270

Weekly Press Briefing: https://fb.watch/gq4n319_FE/ 

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Press Division
Department of Information