ASEAN Secretary-General: Thai PM's Visit Comes Amid Complex Challenges

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn stated that the visit of Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to the ASEAN Secretariat is a significant momentum for a region facing an increasingly complex strategic environment. In his remarks at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta on Tuesday, Secretary-General Kao said the visit comes as ASEAN confronts various challenges, ranging from geopolitical tensions to disruptions in trade, food security, and energy. “Today’s visit by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand is a historic moment and takes place at a very critical time, as ASEAN navigates an increasingly complex strategic environment,” Kao said. He added that this strategic environment is marked by geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, supply chain challenges, technological shifts, climate change pressures, and disruptions to trade, food security, and energy security. “ASEAN is also facing various challenges, both from within and outside the region,” he added. Secretary-General Kao assessed that these conditions further underscore the importance of maintaining ASEAN unity and centrality, as well as strengthening the organisation’s collective capacity to respond to the evolving needs of its people. “These realities further emphasise the importance of ASEAN unity, ASEAN centrality, and our collective ability to respond effectively to the evolving needs of our people,” he said. Prime Minister Anutin’s visit to the ASEAN Secretariat on Tuesday was the first such visit since 2009. Prior to visiting the ASEAN Secretariat headquarters, Prime Minister Anutin spoke at a Thailand-Indonesia business forum. Prime Minister Anutin arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta on Monday afternoon to begin a two-day state visit to Indonesia. The official visit to Jakarta was his first since officially taking office as Thailand’s 32nd Prime Minister in September 2025. At the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Prime Minister Anutin and President Prabowo Subianto launched the Indonesia-Thailand Strategic Partnership Roadmap 2026-2030. The cooperation document focuses on three main areas: security, economic development, and socio-culture.