Riyadh, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Thailand today issued a joint statement at the conclusion of the state visit paid by the Thai Prime Minister to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Following is the text of the statement:
At an invitation of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Thailand General Prayut Chan-o-cha paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on January 25-26, 2022.
His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense received the Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and they held a session of official talks during which they reaffirmed the two countries’ keenness on the importance of strengthening friendship ties between them and opening a new chapter in relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Thailand. The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand affirmed that his country attaches the utmost importance to the bond of friendship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is keen to resolve all pending issues between the two sides, expressing his sincere regrets for the tragic cases that took place in Thailand between 1989 – 1990. Thai Prime Minister reaffirmed that Thailand had exerted utmost efforts to resolve the cases and that it stands ready to bring the cases to the consideration of the competent Thai authorities if new well-founded evidence relating to the cases should emerge. He also reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to providing appropriate security to members of the mission of the Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Bangkok in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Both sides also reiterated their commitments to do their utmost to ensure the safety of each other’s nationals in their respective countries..
The two sides exchanged views on various regional and international issues, and discussed means and ways to strengthen their bilateral relations in all areas. They also agreed to increase interactions and coordination between their respective government agencies as well as private sectors in order to elevate their bilateral relations to new heights for the mutual benefit of the two Kingdoms.
In the spirit of cooperation and shared determination to revive the friendship and cordial relations between the two Kingdoms and their peoples, as guided by the bold leadership and vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, HRH the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, the two sides agreed to fully normalize their diplomatic relations. This historic breakthrough is a result of long-term efforts on many levels from both sides to restore mutual trust and friendly relations.
The two sides agreed on important steps to be taken to reinvigorate their bilateral relations, including the appointment of ambassadors to their respective capitals in the near future and the setting up of consultative mechanisms for consolidating their bilateral cooperation. Intensive coordination will commence in the coming months to discuss bilateral cooperation in key strategic areas.
The two sides discussed means and ways to strengthen and enhance economic and trade relations between the two Kingdoms by exploring investment and other opportunities in the context of Saudi Vision 2030 and Thailand’s national development agenda, namely the Bio – Circular – Green Economy policy. They also agreed to explore new areas of cooperation, such as renewable energy, environment, digital transformation, and cybersecurity. They further emphasized the importance of fostering people-to-people relations, which will be the cornerstone of the two Kingdoms’ growing relations, in addition to exploring new areas of cooperation, such as: renewable energy and the environment, digital transformation and cybersecurity.
The two sides agreed to support each other in the international organizations and fora and stressed the importance of the commitment of all countries to the Charter of the United Nations, international norms, and principles of good neighborliness, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, and the peaceful settlement of dispute. They welcomed each other’s constructive roles in their respective regions, particularly Thailand’s vital role in ASEAN as well as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s leading role in the maintenance of peace, security and humanitarian and development assistance.
The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand congratulated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on its success in hosting and organizing the G20 Summit, which has yielded positive outcomes in many areas, such as economy, development, environment, health, energy, etc. HRH the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also expressed confidence that Thailand’s hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in 2022 will be successful and greatly contribute to the sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth of the regional and global economy in the post-COVID-19 era.
The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand welcomed the (Saudi Green Initiative) and the (Middle East Green Initiative), launched by HRH the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He also commended the leading role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in various common international issues, including combatting climate change, and its positive impacts for the region and its population. HRH the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also praised Thailand’s Bio – Circular – Green Economy policy, which aims to enhance resource efficiency, transform waste into wealth, regenerate biodiversity, and mitigate impacts on the environment..
His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense welcomed the policy of the Kingdom of Thailand represented in the bio – circular – green economy, which aims to enhance the efficiency of resource use, transform waste into wealth, renew biodiversity and mitigate negative impacts on the environment.
At the conclusion of the visit, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand expressed his appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and HRH the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and expressed his best wishes for their good health and for the prosperity and progress of the Saudi people. His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense also expressed his best wishes for the good health and well-being of King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand and for the prosperity and progress of the Thai people.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
