Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the Foreign Affairs Ministry and other related agencies to prepare for talks with the incoming US administration following Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.
Responding to a question about how the outcome of the US election would affect Thailand, the premier said the Foreign Affairs Ministry has preparations to make before any talks can be launched with the new administration.
Gen Chan-o-cha said given the likelihood of policy changes and U-turns under Mr Biden, Thailand will have to be adaptable and strive to maintain the regional balance, before noting that Asean too will have to alter its strategy.
The prime minister said yesterday he has sent a congratulatory message to Mr Biden, saying that he hoped both countries will continue to deepen their long-standing ties, which date back more than 200 years.
Gen Chan-o-cha said even though visits to foreign countries to deepen bilateral relations and pursue cooperation cannot take place for the time being due to COVID-19, he regularly holds talks with other government leaders over the phone or via video conferences.
The premier said he is looking forward to the 37th ASEAN Summit and related meetings which will be hosted by Vietnam over video link 12th-15th November, where he hopes to wrap up negotiations on a number of key issues, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) pact.
