Thailand Seeks Stronger Ethiopia Ties, Expanded Africa Partnership: DPM and Minister Phuangketkeow

Addis Ababa, August 30, 2026 (ENA) —Thailand is seeking to deepen its strategic engagement with Ethiopia and expand its partnership with Africa, with Addis Ababa emerging as a key bridge between Southeast Asia and the African continent, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow told ENA.

Following his official visit to Ethiopia, Phuangketkeow said his visit to Addis Ababa had two strategic objectives: strengthening Thailand’s bilateral relationship with Ethiopia and expanding Thailand’s engagement with Africa through the African Union (AU), whose headquarters are located in the Ethiopian capital.

“Today, after my meeting with the foreign minister of your country, we sign an MOU establishing regular political consultations at the high level between our two countries. So this will help give us the political impetus. It will underscore the political will and give us the impetus to enhance the other dimensions of our relations,” he added.

Elaborating on elevating the political engagement of Ethiopia and Thailand, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister stated that the two countries signed a MoU to establish regular high-level political consultations, giving fresh momentum to bilateral ties.

The mechanism would reinforce political commitment and provide new impetus for cooperation across multiple areas.

“More contacts at the high level and more exchange of visits” are essential to strengthening ties, he noted.

Thailand has also decided to establish an embassy in Addis Ababa with a resident ambassador who will represent Thailand in Ethiopia while also serving as the country’s representative to the African Union.

 

The move marks a significant step in Thailand’s effort to strengthen its diplomatic presence in Africa and use Addis Ababa as a platform for broader engagement with the continent.

Against this backdrop, Thailand is advancing its Thailand-Africa Initiative, aimed at deepening economic, political and development partnerships with African countries.

Thailand is reaching out to new partners while also strengthening long-standing relationships, he elaborated.

Recognizing Africa’s growing economic and geopolitical weight, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said, “we need to reach out to new friends, new partners, and even partners that we have known for a long time. We think that we can do much more together”.

Phuangketkeow underscored that Africa is no longer viewed through the lens of its past, but as a continent of rising economies and an increasingly influential force in global affairs.

“Africa is not like the past anymore. Many of the African countries are emerging economies; and Africa is an important and strong voice in the Global South.” 

Stressing Addis Ababa as a bridge between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that has 11 member states and Africa, Phuangketkeow said Ethiopia and Thailand can play an important role in building stronger bridges between the African Union and ASEAN.

With Timor-Leste becoming ASEAN’s 11th member, the Southeast Asian bloc represents a market and political grouping of nearly 700 million people.

As both the ASEAN and the AU expand their influence in global affairs, the DPM and Minister pointed out that stronger interregional cooperation is increasingly important in addressing shared global challenges.

“We need to build bridges within regions and bridges across regions,” he said.

The DPM and Minister identified safeguarding the rules-based international order, preserving free trade and strengthening the multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization (WTO) as key areas where ASEAN and African countries can work more closely.

Phuangketkeow warned that the increasing use of tariffs and bilateral trade pressure as instruments of leverage could undermine the multilateral trading system.

The Thai Deputy PM and foreign minister also welcomed Ethiopia’s progress toward joining the WTO, describing deeper integration into the international trading system as beneficial to Ethiopia’s economic development.

He said WTO accession would encourage Ethiopia to engage more actively with international trade rules and the global economy.

 

Thailand, he added, is interested in expanding bilateral trade and investment while sharing its development experience with Ethiopia, particularly in industrialization and agricultural value addition.

“We want to see more economic ties, greater trade and more investment,” Phuangketkeow said.

He emphasized that stronger economic growth in Ethiopia would create greater opportunities for businesses from both countries.