ibnchannel.id – Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, together with Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, co-chaired the 10th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCM) meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday 2 May 2025.
One of the main achievements of this meeting was an agreement in principle to elevate relations between the two countries to the Strategic Partnership level. “This step reflects our increasingly close bilateral relations, as well as a shared vision to contribute more to the region,” said Foreign Minister Sugiono as quoted from kemlu.go.id, Sunday 4 May 2025.
As a follow-up, Indonesia and Thailand agreed to form a Joint Working Team to prepare a Strategic Partnership Roadmap, as well as identify priority sectors that will become concrete deliverables in the next high-level visit.
In the economic sector, both countries agreed to expand market access for Indonesian products, including the agriculture, fisheries, and MSME sectors, as well as encourage new cooperation in the field of green energy transition. Foreign Minister Sugiono also welcomed the interest of Thai investors to collaborate with several strategic Indonesian companies.
The issue of protecting Indonesian citizens is also a concern. Both countries emphasized their commitment to strengthening cooperation in preventing and enforcing the law on human trafficking (TPPO), as well as protecting citizens. “I appreciate the support of the Thai Government in repatriating Indonesian citizens who are victims of trafficking. We must continue to strengthen collaboration to eradicate this transnational crime,” said Foreign Minister Sugiono.
In addition to bilateral issues, Foreign Minister Sugiono and Foreign Minister Sangiampongsa also exchanged views on various regional and global issues, including developments in Palestine and strengthening ASEAN’s role in maintaining regional stability, including in ensuring peace in Myanmar.
“Today’s meeting lays a new foundation for stronger, broader, and more strategic relations between Indonesia and Thailand,” concluded Foreign Minister Sugiono.
The Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) is a bilateral forum at the Foreign Minister level to discuss the progress of Indonesia–Thailand cooperation in various fields. The last meeting (the 9th JCM) was held in 2018 in Indonesia. The 10th JCM meeting coincided with the celebration of 75 years of Indonesia–Thailand diplomatic relations (since March 7, 1950), and became an important platform to encourage the strengthening of bilateral relations and regional and global collaboration.***
