Thai-Indian partnership moving closer to strategic status, says deputy FM
In a special speech on “How Thailand and India can be Strategic Partners” in New Delhi, Deputy Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said bilateral ties had given birth to many opportunities.
Sihasak was in India on Sunday to attend the Indian Council of World Affairs.
He added that of the opportunities, there are three that have elevated bilateral ties. They are the trilateral highway, sea connectivity and land connectivity in the Mekong sub-region.
However, he said, to make the vision of a strategic partnership come true, the two countries need to overcome three challenges: competition with the great powers in terms of geopolitics, geoeconomics and geotechnology, maritime security to maintain freedom of navigation, and ASEAN neutrality, which is being tested by the ongoing rivalry between major powers.
Sihasak said ASEAN members should align national and regional interests as well as rethink principles of consensus and non-interference to become more relevant, especially when it comes to the Myanmar situation.
He added that cooperation with India would significantly contribute to the peace process in Myanmar.
With a shared vision of a free, open, inclusive Indo-Pacific region based on economic cooperation, he said he is confident that Thailand and India are ready to move towards their long-overdue strategic partnership.
