Ms. Somrudee Poopornanake, Acting Director-General of the Department of European Affairs, co-chaired the 2nd session of Thailand-Belgium Policy Consultations with Mr. François Delhaye, Director of Asia and Oceania, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, to strengthen Thai-Belgian cooperation and mutual understanding.
Both sides shared updates of the ongoing bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on ways to enhance Thai-Belgian relations in all aspects including politics, economy, education, science, technology and innovation (STI), sustainable development and people-to-people relations. They discussed areas of common potential, such as logistics, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, and research and academia.
Thailand and Belgium expressed commitment to promoting high-level exchanges of visit to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, clean energy, medical and BCG-related industries, and soft power.
Acting Director-General Somrudee also hosted a working lunch in honour of the Belgian delegation. Both sides exchanged views on key regional and global issues, including the situations in Israel and Gaza, Russia-Ukraine and Myanmar.
On this occasion, the Thai side seeks support from Belgium, which is serving as the President of the Council of the European Union during January-June 2024, on the negotiations for the Thai-EU FTA and the Schengen Visa exemption for holders of Thai ordinary passports.
In 2024, Thailand and Belgium mark their 156th anniversary of their relations. The Policy Consultations is a mechanism for dialogue between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and Belgium. The inaugural meeting took place on 6 November 2013. (MFA)
