Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs enhanced concrete cooperation on Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG), technology and innovation, public health, tourism, and environment, as well as expediting work on Roadmap towards strategic partnership at the Thai-French Political Consultations.

On 30 June 2021, Mr. Dusit Manapan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, presided over the opening of the 3rd Thai-French Political Consultations via video conference, together with Mrs. Anne Gueguen, Deputy Secretary-General of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The virtual meeting was subsequently co-chaired by Mrs. Chulamanee Chartsuwan, Director-General of the Department of European Affairs and the French Deputy Secretary-General. H.E. Mr. Sarun Charoensuwan, Thai Ambassador to France, and H.E. Mr. Thierry Mathou, French Ambassador to Thailand, also participated.

Both sides also discussed ways to enhance cooperation in various areas, including cooperation in COVID-19 vaccines, public health issues, defense and security, road safety, trade and investment especially in the transport infrastructure project, tourism such as the reopening of Thailand with Phuket Sandbox model, technical cooperation, science technology and innovation, vocational education, and space technology. Both sides reaffirmed the need of an ambitious and practical Roadmap for the Thai-French Relations (2021-2023) as an instrument to pave the way to elevate the bilateral relations to a strategic partnership by the year 2023

Both sides also exchanged views on recent political and economic development during the COVID-19 pandemic, and perspectives on the post-COVID-19 world. Learning from the current pandemic crisis, both sides expressed interest in the French proposal on “One Health Initiative” to promote public health and environment. The meeting also discussed issues on biodiversity as well as cooperation for development and trilateral cooperation, especially promoting Thailand's new Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy model with a view to building back better in a sustainable and resilient manner.

The meeting provided a platform to exchange views on current regional and global issues such as the situation in Myanmar and the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, which France was the first country in the EU that introduced its own strategy for the Indo-Pacific. Both sides also discussed climate change and gender equality issues. Additionally, the French side expressed support for the resumption of Thai-EU FTA negotiations and Thai-EU Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA). Thailand expressed its readiness to welcome the French delegation to Thailand for the 4th Thai-French Political Consultations next year.

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