10 Quotes from the Prime Minister of Thailand at the APEC CEO Summit 2021

His Excellency Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand, will chair APEC in 2022. In his speech to the APEC CEO Summit, he spoke of Thailand’s plans and priorities for APEC Thailand 2022.

1. “Thailand has adopted the Bio-Circular-Green or BGC Economy Model as part of our post-pandemic national recovery strategy. It integrates three mainstream approaches to sustainability for a more holistic and balanced approach to advance our economic, environmental and social goals. This is the engine driving our APEC host year priorities.”
2. “Our priorities will ensure continuity of APEC’s work, and alignment with the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 as we work towards its realization through the three economic drivers […]
3. “The endorsement of the implementation plan of the Putrajaya Vision later tonight will be a key achievement for New Zealand that has tirelessly worked all year to translate our shared vision into a concrete and actionable work plan.”
4. “Going forward in 2022, Thailand is committed to make APEC open to all opportunities, connect in all dimensions and balance in all aspects.”
5. “Thailand will pursue three priorities, which are to ‘facilitate trade and investment’, ‘restore connectivity’, and ‘promote inclusive and sustainable growth’. I believe that our theme and priorities echo the call by the business community to revitalize our economy, and make it stronger and more resilient.”
6. “Thailand will continue APEC’s work to keep markets open through the rules-based multilateral trading system. At the same time we will take advantage of the opportunity to re-think APEC’s conversation on trade and investment as a force for good that reflects the evolving needs and interests of businesses and our wider communities.”
7. “Thailand will endeavor to reinvigorate the ongoing conversation on the realization of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific in the post-COVID era with a view to advancing regional economic integration, as well as embracing digitalization and other contemporary and emerging trade issues—including climate change, public health and inclusive development.”
8. “To truly facilitate trade and investment, the region must be reconnected again. It is our priority to safely and seamlessly resume cross-border travel.”
9. “Progress towards reconnecting the region is essential to APEC’s path to recovery. Therefore, restoring connectivity will be one of our priorities next year, and we will pursue APEC’s recommendation to come up with a way to strengthen coordination and drive APEC-wide work on safe passage.”
10. “Looking ahead, APEC needs to be ever more connected in the longer term, harnessing digitalization and innovation to further facilitate cross-border movements within APEC to ensure a healthy flow of goods, services, businesspeople and the public at large.”