The Foreign Ministry revealed outcomes from the 9th Thai-Russian Joint Commission meeting, progressing "economic diplomacy" by promoting Thai-Eurasian FTA negotiations, attracting investment in new sectors, and opening markets for agricultural products and clean energy.
On 15 August 2026, Ms. Jaitai Upakarnitikaset, Director-General of the Department of Information and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported on the full plenary session of the Thai-Russian Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JC) 9th meeting.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sirasak Puangketkaew co-chaired the meeting with Russian Minister Alexey Chekunov of the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic. The core theme was economic cooperation, focusing on resolving lingering issues together and seeking opportunities to expand trade and investment, especially in promising new sectors. This meeting came after a three-year hiatus, so there was much to discuss. It also coincided with Thailand's drive to promote economic diplomacy to create trade and investment opportunities and build upon prior discussions between Thai and Russian leaders.
Ms. Jaitai added that a major topic was Thailand's push to initiate negotiations on the Thai-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (Thai-EAEU FTA), working alongside Russia and the other four member states. Thailand has already begun talks with the other countries. Discussions also covered trade promotion and market opening for Thailand's strong agricultural and food products, with ongoing efforts to further open those markets. They also addressed logistics, transportation links, and tourism. For business connectivity, Thai private sector representatives participated in this JC meeting.
Ms. Jaitai further mentioned discussions on energy security, exploring the potential for developing energy and clean energy cooperation. Tourism collaboration was also addressed, noting that Russia is a major source of tourists to Thailand, with around 2 million Russian visitors annually. Russia remains an important tourism market requiring continued cooperation.
Ms. Jaitai said Thailand and Russia exchanged a memorandum recording the meeting’s outcomes detailing various cooperation areas. Next year, Thailand will host the 10th JC meeting to continue advancing these issues. Before that, the 2nd Russia-Thailand Investment Forum is scheduled for October in Bangkok to strengthen private sector business ties.
Regarding Thailand’s eagerness to accelerate FTA negotiations with Eurasia, Ms. Jaitai stated that the Foreign Minister’s visit to continue high-level discussions demonstrates strong political will and commitment to promoting economic cooperation with tangible results. This includes pushing to begin free trade agreement talks, which is a procedural step requiring ongoing dialogue, progress monitoring, and persistent efforts.