Australia and Thailand to Sign Pact on Closer Cooperation

Regular meetings between Australian and Thailand Foreign Ministers will be instituted under a new Agreement on Bilateral Cooperation to be signed in Canberra next week.

The treaty-level agreement provides a framework for closer cooperation across the full range of bilateral activity including security and law enforcement; the environment and heritage; science, technology and energy; information technology and telecommunications; civil aviation; public administration and public sector reform; immigration; education, culture, social development and tourism; natural resource management in agriculture; and economic, investment and technical areas not covered by the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA).

The Agreement will complement the TAFTA, which itself represents a watershed in Australia-Thailand relations, providing greatly improved access for Australian exporters, investors and service providers to the sophisticated and rapidly growing Thai market.

Taken together, the two agreements underline the depth and maturity of Australia's engagement with Thailand, a key regional partner and member of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Agreement on Bilateral Cooperation will be signed during Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's visit to Australia from 4 to 6 July. Following signature, the Agreement will be considered by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT).

The full text of the Agreement can be found on the DFAT website

Media inquiries: Chris Kenny (Ministerial) 02 6277 7500 - Julie McDonald (Departmental) 02 6261 1555