Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is set to visit the Philippines this year, Thailand Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa announced Thursday.

Maris made the announcement during his joint press conference with his Filipino counterpart, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, following their bilateral meeting.

“We will also work closely to prepare for the visit of the Thai Prime Minister to the Philippines within this year,” he said.

‘Fruitful, comprehensive’

According to the foreign minister, the key message of his visit is to “reaffirm” Thailand’s “long-standing friendship” with the Philippines and to “underline Thailand's desire to increase cooperation with the Philippines in all areas of mutual interest at both bilateral and regional level.”

“As mentioned by Secretary Manalo, we had a very fruitful and comprehensive discussion that covered a significant number of areas of cooperation,” he said.

Maris said their bilateral meeting also touched on regional issues such as the escalating tension between Manila and Beijing in the West Philippine Sea.

He said, Thailand, a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) like the Philippines, “supports” peace resolutions on the two nations’ maritime differences.

“On the South China Sea, I convey Thailand's support for peaceful solutions through dialogues and diplomacy and express our readiness to work with all relevant parties to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and promote win-win cooperation in accordance with the international law,” he said.

For his part, Manalo said he briefed the foreign minister on current developments in the South China Sea.

“I reiterated that the Philippine position has been consistent, clear, and firmly anchored on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea,” he said.

“I reaffirmed the Philippines’ continued commitment to ASEAN's centrality and ASEAN’s goal of peace and stability in the region,” he added.

Maris also said that Thailand and the Philippines both committed to improving their economic cooperation by increasing the volume of trade and investment.

“Our two countries will cooperate more on trade facilitation, renewable energy, and food security,” he said.

The Thai foreign minister also commended the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for its economic performance, which he said has made the Philippines “one of the fastest growing economies in the region.”

“The Thai private sector has played a constructive part in the socio-economic development of the Philippines and they are interested in expanding their investment here so I have asked Secretary Manalo and the Philippines government for their continued support for the Thai investors,” he said.

Maris said the two nations are preparing for the convening of the 6th Philippines-Thailand Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation, which will be hosted by Thailand later this year.

“I look forward to welcoming Secretary Manalo in Bangkok soon as part of his official visit to Thailand and the six joint commissions of bilateral corporations,” he said.

Likewise, the two nations also discussed ways to combat transnational crimes such as human trafficking, smuggling, and drug trafficking.

“Our two countries will step up cooperation to push for coordinated ASEAN-wide actions to crack down on these criminal networks and provide assistance to victims,” he said.

Maris is currently in the Philippines for an official visit, his first after he assumed his position in May.