Prime Minister Anutin Holds Bilateral Talks with Myanmar President, Reaffirms Commitment to Stronger Cooperation
Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul held a plenary meeting with H.E. Mr. Min Aung Hlaing, President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, during the President's official visit to Thailand. The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation across a wide range of areas, including security, the economy, trade, investment, energy, development, and the resolution of cross-border issues for the mutual benefit of the peoples of both countries.
Following the meeting, Rachada Dhnadirek, Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, stated that Prime Minister Anutin congratulated President Min Aung Hlaing on assuming the presidency of Myanmar. He noted that the President's decision to choose Thailand as one of the first countries to visit after taking office reflects the longstanding friendship and close ties between the two nations, founded on good neighborliness, mutual trust, and strong people-to-people relations.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Thailand's readiness to support Myanmar's constructive participation in ASEAN and to continue working together to promote sustainable development and shared prosperity for both countries.
Both leaders agreed to maintain the positive momentum in bilateral relations through regular high-level exchanges and official visits, accelerate the implementation of commitments outlined in their joint statement, and strengthen cooperation between the legislative bodies of both countries.
On political and security cooperation, Prime Minister Anutin emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, and security along the Thai-Myanmar border. He proposed closer collaboration in combating transnational crime, particularly narcotics trafficking, online scams, and money laundering, while strengthening coordination between relevant agencies to enhance public safety and security in border communities.
On economic cooperation, the Prime Minister underscored that economic partnership remains a cornerstone of Thai-Myanmar relations. He welcomed the reopening of the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge between Mae Sot and Myawaddy and proposed that both sides expedite efforts to reduce regulatory barriers, facilitate border trade, and improve transportation connectivity to revitalize cross-border commerce and economic activity.
He also reaffirmed Thailand's readiness to host the Joint Trade Commission (JTC) meeting later this year and proposed expanding cooperation in the energy sector, encouraging greater private-sector investment, developing cross-border interbank payment systems, and advancing economic corridor and infrastructure projects linking Thailand, Myanmar, and the wider region to strengthen trade, investment, and sustainable economic growth.
On labor cooperation, Prime Minister Anutin welcomed the signing of the labor cooperation agreement between Thailand and Myanmar. He emphasized the important role that Myanmar workers play in supporting the Thai economy and reaffirmed the Thai government's commitment to protecting the rights, welfare, and legal employment of migrant workers through close cooperation between the two governments.
On environmental cooperation, Prime Minister Anutin emphasized that environmental challenges directly affect the health and well-being of people in both Thailand and Myanmar, making closer collaboration a shared responsibility. He stressed the need to accelerate joint efforts to deliver tangible outcomes, with both countries agreeing to expedite cooperation on addressing transboundary haze, establish a Joint Technical Working Group on water quality management in border rivers, and strengthen collaboration on water resource management and flood prevention to improve environmental conditions and the quality of life for communities along the border.
Thailand also reaffirmed its commitment to serving as a development partner for Myanmar by expanding cooperation in agriculture, public health, education, human resource development, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In addition, both sides agreed to promote the use of space technology and geo-informatics to support sustainable development, disaster management, and practical solutions to environmental challenges.
Concluding the discussions, Prime Minister Anutin said the meeting marked another important milestone in advancing Thailand-Myanmar cooperation across all sectors. He expressed confidence that the initiatives agreed upon would deliver concrete benefits for the people of both countries and reaffirmed Thailand's commitment to remaining a trusted friend and partner of Myanmar, guided by the principles of mutual respect, good neighborliness, and shared prosperity.
Following the plenary session, which concluded at 12:30 p.m., Prime Minister Anutin and President Min Aung Hlaing witnessed the exchange of three bilateral cooperation documents:
- A Memorandum of Understanding on Labor Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, together with an Agreement on the Employment of Workers between the two governments.
- Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Joint Working Group on Water Quality Management in Border Rivers and Rivers Flowing Between Thailand and Myanmar.
- A Memorandum of Understanding between the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) of Thailand and the Myanmar Space Agency on cooperation in the peaceful application of Earth observation technology.
Prime Minister's Office Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said the signing of the three cooperation documents reflects the growing breadth and depth of Thailand-Myanmar relations, extending beyond government-to-government engagement to practical cooperation that delivers tangible benefits to the people of both countries. The agreements strengthen collaboration in labor management, address shared environmental challenges such as transboundary haze and water pollution, and promote the application of space and geo-informatics technologies to support sustainable development. She added that the outcomes are consistent with the shared commitment of both leaders to deepen Thailand-Myanmar cooperation across all dimensions.
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