Joyful! The Prime Minister discussed with President Putin, emphasizing the over 130-year friendship between Thailand and Russia, focusing on expanding cooperation in economy, energy, and people-to-people connections.
On 19 June 2026, reporters reported that on 18 June at 17:45 local time (Kazan is 4 hours behind Thailand), in Bilateral Meeting Room 3, Pavilion A2 Building, Kazan International Convention Center, Kazan, Russian Federation, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister, revealed that Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul held bilateral talks with H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, during the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit.
Both sides held their discussions in a friendly atmosphere. The Prime Minister expressed pleasure in meeting the Russian President and praised Russia’s hosting of the summit. He emphasized that Russia is an important friendly country with long-standing relations with Thailand at all levels. President Putin welcomed the close cooperation between the two countries and noted their plans to celebrate the 130th anniversary of Thailand-Russia diplomatic relations in 2027.
Russia will host the 9th Thai-Russian Joint Commission meeting in Moscow in August 2026, which will be a key mechanism to advance cooperation into tangible results. On this occasion, both sides discussed various areas of cooperation as follows.
1. Political and Security: The Prime Minister stated that Thailand values Russia as a major global power and is ready to strengthen relations and cooperation at bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels.
Both sides also discussed the impacts of Middle East developments on energy security and supply chains. Thailand thanked Russia for supporting clean energy, LNG, and essential goods such as petrochemicals and fertilizers. They agreed to expand cooperation in all security dimensions, including military, intelligence, public health, as well as science, technology, and education.
2. Economic: Both parties agreed that Thailand and Russia have great potential to promote trade. Currently, bilateral trade stands at 1.5 billion USD, which does not yet reflect the full business opportunities.
The Thai-Russian Business Council is interested in expanding trade in consumer goods and seeking new cooperation opportunities. The government will continue negotiating an FTA between Thailand and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to enhance trade, investment, and market access between Thailand, Russia, and other EAEU member countries.
Additionally, the Prime Minister mentioned the success of the Russian-Thai Investment Forum held last year with Thai government and business representatives and announced that the forum will be held in Bangkok in October this year, providing continuous and concrete opportunities for business networking and economic cooperation.
3. Multilateral Cooperation: The Prime Minister thanked Russia for supporting ASEAN’s work and praised Russia’s constructive role in APEC cooperation, especially in promoting digital economy, innovation, food and energy security, as well as sustainable and inclusive development.
Thailand is ready to cooperate with Russia on issues such as digital economy, AI, cybersecurity, anti-scam measures, and economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
4. Tourism and Culture: Both countries agreed to promote closer cooperation in culture and tourism, particularly in celebrating the 130th anniversary of Thailand-Russia relations in 2027, to strengthen people-to-people ties and foster mutual understanding in all aspects.
The Prime Minister also expressed delight that in 2025, nearly two million Russian tourists visited Thailand, making them the largest European tourist group, reflecting their strong impression of Thailand. To further promote people-to-people relations, Russian culture such as music, films, and performing arts will be showcased in upcoming events.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister thanked President Putin for his warm hospitality and reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to promoting comprehensive cooperation with Russia to build security, prosperity, and shared economic opportunities. He expressed hope to meet again with President Putin at the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting later this year.