Prime Minister of Thailand Emphasised the Constructive Role of the United States in the Region and Highlighted Cooperation in the Development and Production of COVID-19 Vaccines in the 8th ASEAN-U.S. Summit

วันที่นำเข้าข้อมูล 14 Nov 2020

วันที่ปรับปรุงข้อมูล 29 Nov 2022

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Prime Minister of Thailand emphasised the constructive role of the United States in the region and highlighted cooperation in addressing COVID-19, including development and production of vaccines, enhancing private sector's contribution to economic recovery, promoting digital economy as an engine of growth, and enhancing human capital development and labour skills in the New Normal era in the 8th ASEAN-U.S. Summit.

On 14 November 2020, H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, attended the 8th ASEAN-U.S. Summit via video conference. Also present at the Meeting was H.E. Robert C. O’Brien, U.S. National Security Advisor, in his capacity as Special Envoy of the President of the United States of America. Prime Minister of Thailand emphasised the constructive role of the United States in promoting ASEAN Centrality and a new strategic equilibrium in the Indo-Pacific region, which will help create an environment of trust and confidence, conducive to economic recovery and regional resilience.

Prime Minister Prayut also proposed three areas of practical cooperation that ASEAN and the United States should further strengthen, including (1) “Promoting public health security”, particularly through research and production of and ensuring access to anti-viral medicines and vaccines for COVID-19 while stressing that Thailand stands ready to become a possible production base for these anti-viral medicines and vaccines, which should be global public goods, accessible for all. He also looked forward to cooperation under the “ASEAN-U.S. Health Futures Initiative” (2) “Promoting economic recovery” through enhancing sustainability of supply chains, promoting the development of digital economy as new engines of growth, improving capacity of ASEAN MSMEs, and supporting smart city development and (3) “Promoting human capital development” through enhancing labour skill development in response to the changing demand of labour market in the New Normal era.

The Meeting also discussed future direction of the ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue Relations towards a more progressive and inclusive Strategic Partnership, as well as exchanged views on international and regional issues. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Meeting stressed the need to prioritise ASEAN-U.S. cooperation in addressing the adverse impact of COVID-19, including through public health cooperation, ensuring supply chain connectivity, promoting trade and investment, as well as enhancing human capital development.

In this regard, the United States also announced the establishment of the U.S.-ASEAN Infection, Prevention, and Control Task Force under the U.S.-ASEAN Health Futures initiative and the support of scholarships to ASEAN youths through the Billion Futures Scholars programme. The Meeting also adopted the Joint Statement on Human Capital Development.

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