Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reinforced connectivity beyond regions to increase opportunities in trade and investment, while coping with rapid changes, as he presided over the Plenary session of the IMF-World Bank annual meetings on Friday morning.
In his opening remarks, Anutin described Thailand as a meeting point for people of different cultures and a bridge between the East and the West, based on the country’s history as a regional hub for trade and diplomacy.
He also said that the challenges facing Thailand and the world today are different from those of 35 years ago, when Bangkok first hosted the meetings in 1991.
AI is transforming economic activities and people’s lives, while the world is seeking economic integration and navigating geopolitical rifts, reshaping trade and investment. Climate change is also a major challenge for economies around the world.
Therefore, the IMF-World Bank meetings provide an important opportunity for international partners to discuss ways to respond to rapid changes, which is based on the core theme of the gathering ‘Thailand's New Horizons - Empowering People, Building Resilience’.
"Resilience goes through trusted connections, open trade, access to technology and finance, partnerships that help countries learn from one another," he said.
Despite the changes, one consistent challenge remains the need to strengthen connectivity, both regionally and beyond, connecting capital with opportunities and technology with talent, he noted.
This connectivity, he says, would help to bring regional partners closer and create new opportunities for trade, investment and development.
Anutin later called on the IMF, the World Bank and other international partners to turn dialogue into cooperation and financial resources into opportunities, ensuring that decisions will turn into improved economic opportunities for everyone.
