European Parliament represented by a delegation of DASE Members and INTA rapporteur for Thailand, and the Thai Parliament held the 13th Inter-Parliamentary Meeting on 25 February 2025. The previous Inter-Parliamentary meeting was held in December 2022, in a remote format.

The Members of the European Parliament met with the Second Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand Mr. Paradorn Prissananantakul, Chairperson of Thailand's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ms. Saratsanun Unnopporn, also as the Thai Co-Chair of the EU-Thailand Inter-Parliamentary Meeting, Thai Trade Representative Mr. Werapong Prapha, Governor of Bangkok Mr. Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Chiang Mai Mr. Nirat Pongsitthithaworn, and senior members of the Prime Minister's Pheu Thai party and the main opposition party, the People's Party.

Members also met representatives of European businesses from the European Association for Business and Commerce (EABC) and the Thai-European Business Association (TEBA). In the outreach to the Northern city Chiang Mai Members visited French company Safran's assembly plant, which produces galley and furniture for aircraft. Members also visited Phi Suea House, an off-grid solar, batteries and fuel cell powered private house of German Honorary Consul in Chiang Mai.

Upon the conclusion of the visit, the Chair of DASE underlined that "the relations between European and Thai people and nations are historically long-standing and close and have an important agenda still today". He said that "we are further developing the trade relations with Thailand, one of the most important trading and investment partners of the EU in Southeast Asia and the political relations with international peace and security agenda in mind, and cooperation on green transformation."

He also stressed the importance of completing the national ratifications of the EU-Thailand Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which was signed at the EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in Brussels in December 2022.

"The parliamentary diplomacy is an irreplaceable dimension in the bilateral political agenda, said Mr Beke. "Thailand as a neighbour to Myanmar has a key role to play in facilitating peace in the crisis in Myanmar. Thailand is one of the most valued members in the ASEAN context too."

Composition of the delegation: Wouter BEKE (EPP, Belgium), Kathleen VAN BREMPT (S&D, Belgium), Jens GIESEKE (EPP, Germany), Daniel ATTARD (S&D, Malta), Beata SZYDLO (ECR, Poland), Daniel FREUND (Greens, Germany), Rada LAYKOVA (ESN, Bulgaria) and Ondřej DOSTÁL (NI, Czech Republic).

The original press release was published on DASE website: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/delegations/en/dase/documents/communiques.

For further information, please contact: DASE@europarl.europa.eu