H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, is scheduled to visit Belgium, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom during 9 – 14 February 2020.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs will co-chair the high-level segment of the 2nd ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Sustainable Development on 10 February 2020 in Brussels, Belgium, with Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. The Dialogue will be attended by senior officials and experts from ASEAN and the EU Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat and the European Commission, as well as relevant UN agencies and other international organisations.

The 2nd ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Sustainable Development, jointly organised by Thailand, in its capacity as the ASEAN Coordinator on Sustainable Development Cooperation, and the EU, reaffirms the shared commitment and strengthens the partnership between ASEAN and the EU in sustainable development. The Dialogue will focus on three key topics, including (1) climate change, green growth and green financing (2) regional integration in promoting inclusive growth and sustainable development, and (3) gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

The inaugural ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Sustainable Development was convened in 2017 in Bangkok as a follow-up to the decision of the 21st ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting in 2016 to establish a dialogue between ASEAN and the EU on sustainable development. It also serves as a platform for sharing of experiences and best practices in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Following the 2nd ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Sustainable Development, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will pay an official visit to Luxembourg, on 11 February 2020, in order to further enhance the bilateral relations between the two countries, especially on trade and investment, and the promotion of Luxembourg’s role in development in the region.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs will also pay a visit to the United Kingdom during 12 – 14 February 2020 to strengthen the strategic partnership and bilateral cooperation in the fields of economics, trade and investment, education, science, technology, and innovation, security, people-to-people contacts, and regional level cooperation. This visit will be the first ministerial-level visit to the United Kingdom after the Brexit on 31 January 2020. The year 2020 also marks the 165th anniversary of Thai – UK diplomatic relations.