EAM S. Jaishankar welcomed Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow in New Delhi, reaffirming India’s strong commitment to its partnership with Thailand. Both leaders highlighted synergy between India’s Act East and Thailand’s Act West policies, focusing on strategic, maritime and economic cooperation to further strengthen bilateral relations.
00:00Excellency, a very warm welcome to you and to your delegation on your first official
00:07visit as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.
00:12We had a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit and at that time had agreed
00:21that we should meet for a more detailed discussion, so I'm really very, very glad that you could
00:25accept my invitation and be here today.
00:29Before I come to our relationship, Excellency, please accept our deepest condolences on the
00:36passing away of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother of Thailand.
00:42I also take the opportunity to convey our respects and warm wishes for the good health of their
00:49Majesties and for the Thai National Day, which is coming up on the 5th of November.
00:56Excellency, India and Thailand have historically shared close and friendly ties.
01:03We value Thailand as a long-time friend, apart from being a very important maritime neighbour.
01:10India's Act East policy has found a sort of a match in Thailand's Look West policy.
01:18Our ties were elevated to a strategic partnership during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
01:23to Bangkok in April 2025 for the BIMSTEC Summit and for its official visit.
01:29Several agreements, including in the field of handlooms and handicrafts, digital technologies, MSMEs and maritime heritage, were signed on that occasion.
01:38So, in that background, given the rapidly evolving geopolitical and geo-economic environment which impacts both of us, we believe that a regular exchange of views on pressing issues is very useful.
01:55I think we have many common interests, including in our region.
02:00I particularly look forward to a deep discussion on the situation in Myanmar during your stay.
02:08So, once again, my warmest welcome and I would request you to make your opening remarks.
02:14MR.
02:15Well, thank you very much and I'm very glad to be here at your kind invitation and I apologize for having to come here at short notice.
02:29But as we discussed in Kuala Lumpur, I think there are a few issues of common concern to us and especially with regard to situation in our neighbouring country.
02:42MR.
02:43And I appreciated the in-depth discussion that I had with you a moment ago and we agreed to keep in close touch and to share information on latest developments and also our latest thinking, you know, because there will be elections in that country very soon.
03:04MR.
03:05And I think as neighbouring countries, we should try to align what we have to say about and we recognize that we have to look at the situation from a realistic perspective.
03:17And just to add that we share the same goal as neighbouring countries of that country, which is peaceful, stable and a unified country.
03:29MR.
03:30And so we will be working towards that goal.
03:32But as you noted on our bilateral relations, we just concluded the strategic partnership between our two countries.
03:42I asked my colleagues, you know, what do we mean when we have a strategic partnership?
03:49And they never gave me the same answer.
03:52But I think there are good reasons why we have a strategic partnership.
04:04Okay.
04:08So now, I'd like Rosie, is this kind of thing going into the alliance tomesi venting.
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