2 weeks Ago
Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa says governments worldwide recognise Thailand's potential to contribute to multilateral sustainable development following his participation in the Brics Plus Summit in Kazan, Russia, on Thursday. Mr Maris was representing Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was invited to the event by Russian President Vladimir Putin but could not make it due to a conflicting schedule. This year's summit was titled "Brics and the Global South: Building a Better World Together".
The three-day summit was was attended by leaders or representatives of 36 countries. During his remarks at the summit, Mr Maris said Thailand hoped to join Brics in August next year. It could contribute as a bridge to help revive a spirit of cooperation and revise the global system to be more just and equitable, he said.
Thailand will also advocate for strengthening multilateralism among Brics members, he said. It sees the critical importance of this regional framework in bolstering a spirit of cooperation based on mutual trust and respect. He said Thailand and Brics could collaborate to revise the global system to work for all nations, not just the most powerful.
He said Thailand is confident it can contribute to advancing aspirations and helping enable further constructive exchanges. As the international community works towards a more just and equitable world, he pointed out the conversation should include the necessity of revisiting the current state of international financial architecture and achieve a balanced tone. "The international financial system for developing countries should be responsive and help provide social safety, crisis management, sustainable growth, greater peace and prosperity for all," he said.
As such, he said Thailand believed Brics could be a voice for developing and emerging economies and serve as a force to shift the dynamics of financial governance to favour all nations. Learning from the previous painful experience of the Asian financial crisis, Thailand proposed that synergies be built across various international platforms to advance this reform agenda. Mr Maris said he also looked forward to the possibility of Brics members participating in the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), which Thailand will chair next year.
Mr Maris on Saturday gave an online interview to a group of Thai reporters, saying Prime Minister Paethongtarn would like Thailand to promote cooperation among developing countries and play a more active role in shaping the world's direction. Mr Maris said the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was also invited to the summit, congratulated him on the progress Thailand has made towards achieving its sustainable development goals. Mr Putin, too, said he was confident Thailand would advocate for developing countries and promote moving forward with change.
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