Briefing Seminar on “Thailand-EU Strategic Economic Partnership” 19 March 2025

EVENT INVITATION
IN-PERSON BRIEFING SEMINAR

Date:  Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Time: 10:00 – 13:00 CET
Venue: EIAS, Rue de la Loi 26, B-1040 Brussels
*The Event will be followed by a Thai Networking Lunch

The European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS) and the Royal Thai Embassy in Brussels have the pleasure of inviting you to the Briefing Seminar on “Thailand-EU Strategic Economic Partnership”, which will be held on Wednesday, 19 March 2025 from 10:00 AM to 13:00 PM at the European Institute for Asian Studies, Rue de la Loi 26, 10th floor, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium. The event will be followed by a networking lunch with Thai delicacies. 

As Thailand-EU relations continue to gain momentum, this Briefing Seminar aims to foster dialogue on advancing a forward-looking trade agenda for sustainable investment and cooperation between Thailand and the European Union. As global geopolitical and economic landscapes continue to evolve, Thailand and the EU are exploring deeper collaboration and are working together to de-risk trade, as well as to advance the green transition, digital transformation, and resilient supply chains. The discussion is particularly timely in the context of the Thailand-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, which have paved the way for enhanced engagement between the two regions. 

The dynamics of the Thailand-EU economic partnership have strengthened significantly in recent years, driven by a series of initiatives and collaborative efforts, growing interdependence and increased shared interests. The signing of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in 2022, the relaunching of the FTA negotiations in 2023, as well as Thailand’s sizable market, low inflation, low public debt and improving GDP growth rate are marking Thailand as a key trading partner for the EU.

In January 2025, Thailand signed its FTA with the four countries of the European Free Trade Association – EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). The EU-ASEAN Business Council Mission to Thailand in February 2025—its largest-ever business delegation to the country—further attests to the vibrant and expanding trade relations between the two partners. Investments across various sectors in both directions continue to foster job creation and bolster trade, in an effort to build a stronger, more resilient, equal economic partnership. By engaging different stakeholders in the business and civil society sectors, a more participatory and inclusive process is envisaged, advancing cooperation to align trade standards, while ensuring an enhanced sustainable economic partnership.

Enhancing economic ties through various initiatives aimed at strengthening trade infrastructure, facilitating investments, and addressing the challenges posed by global economic shifts, these efforts solidify Thailand’s position as a key partner for the EU in Southeast Asia and as a gateway to the dynamic Indo-Pacific region, reinforcing the importance of sustained collaboration and prosperity in shaping a mutually beneficial, shared future. What role can EU and Thai institutions and industry play to advance the strategic economic partnership between the two partners, through smart regulation, diversification, sustainability efforts, and supply chain resilience, particularly in view of the upcoming Free Trade Agreement? 

Programme

09.30 – 10.00 Registration and Welcome Coffee

10.00 – 10.30 Welcoming Remarks and Keynote Addresses

Welcoming Remarks

• H.E. Mrs. Kanchana Patarachoke, Ambassador of Thailand to the EU

Keynote Addresses

• Mr. Werapong Prapha, Thai Trade Representative
• Mr. Wouter Beke, MEP, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and ASEAN (DASE)
• Mrs. Kathleen Van Brempt, MEP, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade and Standing Rapporteur for Thailand

10.30 – 11.30 Panel Discussion – Session 1: “Advancing the Thailand-EU Strategic Economic Partnership: The Role of Institutions and Industry”

• Mr. Noel Clehane, Vice Chairman, EU-ASEAN Business Council and EIAS Senior Advisor
• Ms. Leila Fernandez Stembridge, Head of Division for Southeast Asia, European External Action Service
• Dr. Olaf Wientzek, Director, Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation Multinational Development Policy Dialogue, European Office, Brussels
• Moderator: Ms. Lin Goethals, Director of EIAS

11.30 – 11.45 Coffee break

11.45 – 13.00 Panel Discussion – Session 2:“EU-Thailand Trade Relations and the FTA: Navigating Regulation, Diversification and Supply Chain Resilience”

• Mr. Christophe Kiener, Head of the South and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand Unit, DG Trade of the European Commission and EU Lead Negotiator in the Thailand-EU FTA Negotiations
• Mr. Di-Ting Shih, Managing Director of CPF Europe
• Dr. Adam McCarthy, Secretary General of the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA)
• Moderator: Ms. Lin Goethals, Director of EIAS 

13.00 – 14.30 Networking Reception and Lunch with Thai delicacies

To register, please RSVP by Friday, 14 March 2025 through the form below. Should you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us through eias@eias.org

We would be delighted to welcome you at EIAS for this Event on Wednesday, 19 March 2025. 

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

The Royal Thai Embassy in Brussels and EIAS Team

Photo: AI Generated