Bangkok:The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Sihasak Phuangketkaew, has engaged in discussions with Egypt's Foreign Minister to restart the Joint Commission meeting after a 20-year hiatus. This effort aims to enhance trade and investment while establishing Thailand as a strategic gateway to Asia. Three Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were signed to bolster cooperation in the fields of economics, tourism, and education.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Sihasak and Dr. Badr Abdelhadi, Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptians Abroad, held a press conference after the 3rd meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation between Thailand and Egypt. They emphasized the importance of regular high-level meetings and visits to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation.
The discussions also focused on economic and trade relations, with a current trade value between the two countries standing at US$1 billion. Both nations aim to expand cooperation to enhance mutual investment opportunities. Egypt's Special Economic Zone along the Suez Canal and its membership in the African Free Trade Area present significant prospects for Thai investors to access markets in Europe and beyond.
In the tourism sector, both countries agreed to encourage more travel between their citizens and explore visa exemption agreements for diplomatic and official passport holders. In education, Egyptian universities have provided over 100 scholarships to Thai students for studies in Egypt.
Mr. Sihasak expressed Thailand's hope for a visit by the Thai Prime Minister to Egypt, accompanied by a business delegation, to facilitate business conferences. He also anticipated a future visit by the President of Egypt to Thailand.
Egypt's Foreign Minister highlighted that this marks the first visit to Thailand in 30 years, recommending continued high-level meetings. This includes a proposed visit by Thai leaders to Egypt next year for the 4th Joint Commission Meeting and a business forum.
The two countries also agreed to enhance cooperation in multiple sectors, including agriculture, automotive production, electric vehicles, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, logistics, and the modern economy, focusing on AI, green economy, and digital transformation.
Tourism remains a vital area of collaboration, especially in the service sector and medical tourism. Both nations, as popular tourist destinations, aim to increase tourist exchanges to showcase diverse attractions.
Cooperation with the African continent is another critical focus, with Egypt positioned as a gateway to Africa for Thailand, while Thailand serves as a gateway to the Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asian regions. The countries also agreed to promote dialogue to reduce tensions in the Middle East and the Gulf region.
During the meeting, three significant cooperation documents were signed, including a Joint Action Plan and two Memorandums of Understanding covering cultural cooperation and trilateral cooperation in third countries.