Thailand is seeking cooperation from neighbouring countries to address cross-border air pollution, which is seriously impacting the northern provinces of Thailand.
Spokesperson for the Thai Foreign Ministry, Kanchana Patarachoke, said that Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai has coordinated with his ASEAN counterparts and sought help to solve the problem within the framework of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.
She added that Don also instructed the Thai ambassador in Myanmar to raise Thailand’s concerns over the forest fires in that country with their Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation.
She said that the issue was also raised with the ASEAN secretary-general, also seeking support from member countries and a meeting of countries concerned to discuss the problem.
Kanchana said that, at the February 28th meeting of ASEAN senior officials for social community and culture, it was agreed that a coordinating centre to address transboundary pollution should be established and that a new plan for ASEAN cooperation to address the problem should be formulated.
