Foreign Minister Don to US for meetings with UN, ASEAN, more

An anonymous source has reported that Thailand’s Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai will be in the United States next week for several high profile meetings. The trip will see Minister Don attending the United Nations General Assembly as well as meetings in Washington DC and New York related to ASEAN matters.

Numerous bilateral meetings with US counterparts and Thailand’s friends are planned for the trip, scheduled for September 20 to September 29. The trip is considered significant and crucial to ensuring that Thailand has a voice in global matters that are slated to come before the UN General Assembly during these meetings.

On the agenda for the UN meetings are matters of worldwide importance including the continuing Covid-19 pandemic and the situation around the world with climate change. Regional issues like the unstable and volatile changes in Afghanistan will also be discussed. And Thailand’s voice being heard is of particular interest in the political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar now, which is scheduled to be discussed as well.

Foreign Minister Don will meet with various ASEAN foreign ministers and important UN members, as well as senior American government officials to discuss US-Thai relations. He will also hold meetings with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who had called Don after being confirmed by the US Senate in January to talk about the Southeast Asian region and bilateral relations.

Some have wondered if there is growing tension between Thailand and the United States after trips last month to Southeast Asia by both Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Vice President Kamala Harris did not include a stop in Thailand.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World