File photo : Former permanent secretary for foreign affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow
Jakarta—Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has appointed a veteran diplomat, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, as his special envoy to head the Thai delegation to the Asean summit and Asean related summits, according to an informed source.
Sihasak, former permanent secretary for foreign affairs and ambassadors to Japan and France, is a versatile diplomat who helped draft the Asean Charter. He will attend the 43th Asean and Asean related summits from Sept 5-7 on behalf of the newly elected prime minister, who has yet to swear in and deliver a policy address to the Parliament.
Sihasak will represent Thailand at the three-day event which will kick off tomorrow (September 5) with more than a dozen meetings among the Asean leaders and their dialogue partners, said the source, who asked not to be named.
Sarun Charoensuwan, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, participated in the foreign ministerial and joint coordinating council’s meetings ahead of the leaders’ meeting, the source said.
The Thai PBS World has not been able to confirm whether Sihasak would arrive in time on Sept 5 to take part in the plenary session of Asean summit as well as the opening ceremony of the Asean-Indo Pacific Forum (AIPF) along with the other Asean leaders, The two-day AIPF is the flagship event of the Asean summit, which serves a platform to exchange views and strategies to implement the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
He will also attend several Asean-plus summits with China, Japan, South Korea, the US, Canada, Australia, India and Asean Plus Three.
At the Jakarta summit, twenty-one outcome documents will be released for the Asean Summit and related meetings. Last month, the outgoing Thai government approved all of the proposed documents by the chair.
The main one will be the Jakarta Declaration: Asean Matters: Epicentrum of Growth, which prescribes joint commitments to promote Asean centrality, specify its growth, maintain Asean’s role in the region, and operationalize the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
Other documents to be endorsed by the Asean leaders are related to human rights, early childhood educational care development, assistance for people with disabilities and gender equality and family development. For the Asean cooperation with dialogue partners under the AOIP guidelines, Asean will endorse joint statements with South Korea and the US.
The Asean leaders will also endorse a joint statement between Asean and China on Mutually Beneficial Cooperation between AOIP and the Belt and Road Initiative.
Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang will participate in the Asean summits for the first time since being elected to the post in March.After the East Asia Summit on Thursday, Indonesia will hand over the chairmanship to Lao People’s Democratic Republic, although Vientiane won’t officially take up the reins until January.
