DOHA, Qatar — Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra delivered a compelling speech at the 3rd Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit in Doha, Qatar, on October 3, emphasizing peaceful solutions and outlining Thailand’s vision for regional cooperation.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn began by praising Qatar’s successful hosting of the 2022 World Cup, using it as a springboard to discuss the theme of “Sports Diplomacy.” She highlighted the role of sports in bridging divides and fostering international relationships, particularly relevant given the current conflicts in the Middle East.
Call for Peace
Addressing the ongoing regional conflicts, she expressed Thailand’s deep concern over the worsening humanitarian situation. She called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urged all parties to protect civilian infrastructure and comply with international humanitarian law.
“In solidarity with the international community, we call on all parties to the conflict to exercise utmost restraint and immediately cease all acts of hostilities, protect civilian infrastructure, and comply with international humanitarian law and the Charter of the United Nations,” said the Thai PM.
Thailand’s ACD Chairmanship 2025
Paetongtarn stressed Thailand’s strategic geographical location and ongoing investments in transport infrastructure. She invited ACD partners to collaborate on developing new trade corridors to enhance connectivity across the continent.
Looking ahead to Thailand’s chairmanship of the ACD in 2025, the Prime Minister positioned Thailand as a key player in what she termed the “Asian Century,” emphasizing the continent’s economic strength and potential. She highlighted Thailand’s strengths in the food and agriculture sector, proposing stronger trade networks among ACD nations to ensure food security.
“As we assume the chairmanship of the ACD in 2025, allow me to reiterate once again that Thailand, as a bridge builder, looks forward to working with all member states to be an active promoter of peace and common prosperity. We believe that it is high time for us to join hands more firmly and warmly, especially for countries in the Global South, to enhance our collective impact on global economic stability and security,” she stated.
Thai leader also outlined several key initiatives:
- Revitalization of activities under the 6 pillars of ACD cooperation
- Strategic alignment of ACD efforts with other regional groupings like ASEAN, GCC, and BRICS
- Exploration of a more balanced financial architecture, including discussions on Asian-led credit rating agencies
Vision for a United Asia
Throughout her speech, the Thai Prime Minister highlighted Thailand’s role as a “bridge builder” and an “active promoter of peace and common prosperity.” She advocated for stronger collaboration among Asian nations, particularly those in the Global South, to enhance their collective impact on global economic stability and security.
“These challenges have taught us the importance of ensuring economic and financial stability to foster sustainable and inclusive socio-economic growth for our people,” she stated. “This lesson, combined with the painful experience of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, underscores our belief in achieving a ‘Balance of Financial Architecture,” she remarked.
To realize this goal, Paetongtarn emphasized the need to revisit the concept of a more balanced and resilient financial framework that supports the global agenda on Financing for Development. “We will organize preliminary ACD high-level discussions on financial architecture,” she announced.
“These talks will explore the possibility of creating a platform for financial cooperation, which includes discussing the development of Asian-led and Asian-owned credit rating agencies. Such agencies would provide more accurate assessments of financial stability, better align with the regional economic realities of our local markets, and reduce our dependency on external evaluations,” said the Thai Prime Minister.
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