February 12, 2024
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara today in Washington, D.C. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Thailand alliance, and the two sides discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation across a range of bilateral and global issues.
Secretary Blinken emphasized U.S. commitment to increasing collaboration on trade and investment, broadening our security cooperation as we promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, and deepening people-to-people ties, including through new academic partnerships and enhanced existing institutional relationships. He affirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to ASEAN centrality and implementation of the U.S.-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The two sides spoke about the importance of democracy, the protection of human rights, and the need to ensure that all citizens can freely participate in the political process.
Secretary Blinken also discussed regional and global issues, including efforts with Thailand and ASEAN to address the worsening crisis in Burma. They emphasized the urgent need to expand humanitarian assistance to displaced people in Burma and in the region and urged the regime to pursue inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders, release all those unjustly detained, end the violence, and put Burma back on a path to democratic civilian governance. Secretary Blinken stressed U.S. commitment to secure the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas. Lastly, Secretary Blinken welcomed the increase in high-level engagements between the United States and Thailand, pointing to the U.S.-Thailand Strategic and Defense Dialogue on February 28-29 as another example through which U.S. and Thai officials will build upon 190 years of diplomatic relations to further strengthen our alliance and partnership.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara Before Their Meeting
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone, and Mr. Minister, welcome. It’s wonderful to have you here. We celebrate 190 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and the United States, and a longstanding alliance. But even as we celebrate the past, we are relentlessly focused on today and the future, a present and a future that join us together in our alliance, in a determination, I believe, to strengthen it even more, to work together on the many challenges we face, whether it’s in the region or even globally when it comes to security, when it comes to climate change, when it comes also to deepening our own economic relationship. And so much of the work that you’ve done in that area I look forward to discussing.
So we have – we have a number of challenges, mutual challenges before us, but we’re grateful to have a partnership, to have an alliance that can effectively address them together. So welcome.
MINISTER BAHIDDHA-NUKARA: I’m very delighted to be here in Washington and at the invitation of the Secretary. My visit underscores our desire to reinvigorate our strategic alliance and partnership. As a democratically elected government, we firmly believe that our shared values of democratic principles, human rights, and human security will play a pivotal role in our partnership and bind our countries even closer together.
The Thai Government is focusing on promoting Thailand’s economic growth and transiting its economy to its green and digital economy, which will open up new opportunities to enhance our economic partnership. We also seek to enhance our longstanding security ties with the U.S. At the regional level, we see ourselves as an important anchor for your engagement in the region to advance common peace, security, and prosperity. In this regard, we hope to continue working closely with the U.S., including through ASEAN, development of Mekong subregion, and the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, IPEF.
Thank you, Excellency.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, Minister. Thanks, everyone.