Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha attended the 17th East Asia Summit (EAS), together with leaders of other 17 EAS countries (Myanmar did not attend), ASEAN Secretary General, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and Secretary General of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Zhang Ming on November 13, 2022, at the Ballroom III, Sokha Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister and Acting Government Spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri disclosed gist as follows:
The Prime Minister emphasized that Thailand encourages all parties to seek cooperation in “Addressing Challenges Together”, in accordance with the theme of Cambodia’s ASEAN Chairmanship, to steer the region towards secure, prosperous, and sustainable future. For almost two decades, the EAS has been a vital part of ASEAN-centered regional architecture by serving as the premier Leaders-led strategic forum for open and constructive dialogue. The EAS Participating Countries all have important roles to play in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity of the region and the world at large.
The Prime Minister also emphasized three approaches as follows:
First, the roles and values of the EAS is that it has created opportunities for consultation and negotiation process in a frank and candid manner while promoting mutually beneficial relations as intended by the EAS Leaders and reflected in the key outcome documents of the EAS. Thailand believes that these roles and values will lead to the promotion of strategic equilibrium in the region thereby contributing to durable peace and shared prosperity. Thailand urges every country to shift the paradigm from confrontation to cooperation. Every country can play its constructive role based on its relative strengths and capacities.
Thailand also pushes forward cooperation to cope with all challenges for the future, including sustainable development, digital economy and technology, future industries that are environmentally friendly, and the BCG Economy Model, which is also the main agenda under Thailand’s APEC Chairmanship this year.
Second, shared principles should be upheld, such as ASEAN centrality, openness, inclusivity, and 3M principles, namely mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual benefit.
Third, peaceful resolution of disputes are the pathways towards preventing expansion of conflicts, easing tensions, and creating sustainable solutions. Thailand is committed to and support all parties to respect for and conducts of activities on the basis of fundamental principles of international law, including resolution in Korean peninsula
Moreover, Thailand supports ASEAN’s efforts in the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus aiming to resolve the situation in Myanmar and stands ready to work with all parties concerned in providing humanitarian assistance to alleviate the human suffering and improve well-being of more than 54 million people in Myanmar. Also, Thailand reiterates its wish to see the South China Sea as a Sea of Peace, Stability, and Sustainable Development. Thailand stands ready to continue its constructive role in promoting win-win cooperation.
At the 40th and 41st ASEAN summits and related summits, the Prime Minister, together with other ASEAN leaders, adopted 26 outcome documents, comprising 16 outcome documents of the ASEAN Summit, and 10 documents under other related summits with dialogue partners. The outcome documents signed are ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on the 55th Anniversary of ASEAN, and ASEAN Leaders’ Vision Statement on “ASEAN A.C.T.: Addressing Challenges Together, among others.
At Sokha Hotel, Phnom Penh, the Prime Minister attended the Closing and Handing Over Ceremony of 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship to Indonesia. He, then, left Cambodia for Thailand to arrive at the Royal Thai Air Forces Airport Wing 6, Don Maung, Bangkok. (PRD)
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