Thailand and Australia have agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating transnational crime, including drug and human trafficking, online scams and cybercrime.
The agreement was reached during Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s official visit to Canberra, following talks with his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, according to Thai government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek.
At a joint press conference, Albanese said Australia was ready to deepen cooperation with Thailand in all areas, particularly in combating transnational crime and strengthening economic ties.
Rachada said Anutin had reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to strengthening the Thai-Australian strategic partnership and turning it into more concrete cooperation to address shared challenges and benefit people in both countries.
The visit marks the first official visit by a Thai prime minister to Australia in 14 years and comes ahead of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year.
Thailand and Australia upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership in 2020 and have continued to expand cooperation in several areas.
On politics and security, Rachada said the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in addressing both traditional and emerging security challenges.
They will make greater use of existing mechanisms and develop new forms of cooperation to keep pace with increasingly complex and rapidly changing threats.
On the economic front, the two sides stressed the importance of strengthening economic ties amid geopolitical and geo-economic changes.
They also agreed to increase bilateral trade and investment and promote cooperation in high-potential industries and innovation.
The two countries will also promote future skills through cooperation in education, innovation and capacity building.
On security and defence, Anutin welcomed Australia’s proposal to establish a biennial Thai-Australian Defence Ministers’ Meeting to strengthen defence cooperation and support peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Anutin praised the role of the Thai community in Australian society, while noting that Thailand remains a major destination for Australian tourists, reflecting strong people-to-people ties.
Both countries will work together through ASEAN, the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), the Mekong-Australia Partnership and other relevant frameworks.
The two sides also issued a statement on deepening economic engagement aimed at maximising the benefits of the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA).
They also welcomed a letter of intent signed between Thailand’s National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), aimed at expanding cooperation in science, research and innovation.
