New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Thailand counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa reiterated their commitment to closer cooperation in sub-regional, regional, and multilateral forums.

Thailand Foreign Affairs Minister Sangiampongsa concluded his visit to New Delhi on Saturday.

The Thailand minister visited the national capital from July 11 to 13 for the 2nd Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Foreign Ministers' Retreat hosted by EAM Jaishankar and for his first official visit to India.

EAM Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with the Thai Minister on Friday and hosted a lunch in his honour.

During the meeting, the two ministers reviewed progress across various areas of partnership, covering political exchanges, defence and security ties, trade and investment opportunities, connectivity, science & technology collaboration, health cooperation, culture, and people-to-people interaction.

"The two ministers also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and reiterated their commitment to closer cooperation in sub-regional, regional, and multilateral fora," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

In accordance with the vision of the two prime ministers, the foreign affairs ministers reaffirmed the mutual desire for a stronger India-Thailand partnership.

Thailand is a key partner of India in ASEAN. The 'Act East' Policy of India, which marks its 10th year in 2024, finds convergence with the 'Act West' Policy of Thailand.

The interactions between the External Affairs Minister and the Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs have contributed to the further strengthening of bilateral ties.

The BIMSTEC Retreat presented an opportunity for the Foreign Ministers of BIMSTEC nations to discuss avenues to broaden and deepen cooperation in various sectors, including security, connectivity, trade and investment, people-to-people contacts, etc in the Bay of Bengal region and littoral, according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The first edition of the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Retreat was held in Thailand's Bangkok on July 17, 2023.

BIMSTEC is a regional organisation that connects countries around the Bay of Bengal to promote economic growth, trade, and cooperation in areas like transportation, energy, and counter-terrorism.

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