Macron hosts Anutin as Thailand courts French investment
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for a dinner meeting at the Élysée Palace in Paris yesterday, May 25, where both sides discussed trade, cybersecurity, and regional security issues.
The meeting took place at 8.30pm local time in France. Both leaders agreed to strengthen trade and investment between the two countries, particularly in high-value industries including alternative energy, aerospace, smart power grids, AI infrastructure, and data centres.
The Thai government said several French companies had expressed interest in investing or expanding investments in Thailand following discussions with MEDEF International and leading French private sector representatives. France also welcomed increased Thai private investment in France.
Thailand also sought to conclude the Thailand-EU Free Trade Agreement this year and thanked France for supporting the talks.
Both sides also agreed to expand cooperation on security and cybersecurity. The discussions included cooperation linked to the Cobra Gold military exercise and efforts to combat online scams and cybercrime.
During the talks, Anutin also addressed the situations involving Cambodia and Myanmar. The Thai prime minister said Thailand remained committed to sovereignty, peace, and international law.
Anutin said Thailand decided to cancel MOU 44 after nearly 25 years without progress and would instead rely on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the legal framework for bilateral talks.
Regarding land border issues with Cambodia, Thailand said it would follow the joint statement signed late last year, while Cambodia would need to show sincerity in the process.
MGR Online reported that both countries also agreed to move forward with the Joint Action Plan to strengthen the Thai-French Partnership 2026-2028, which aims to elevate bilateral ties towards a strategic partnership.
French officials attending the meeting included Europe and Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and French ambassador to Thailand Jean-Claude Poimboeuf, along with diplomatic, economic, and military advisers.
Similarly, last week, Thailand looked to France for lessons in turning culture into global influence, as Culture Minister Sabeeda Thaised led talks to mark 170 years of Thailand-France diplomatic ties and push Thai soft power through five areas of cooperation.
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