Sydney: Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul delivered a keynote address at the Lowy Institute on Tuesday, advocating for strategic autonomy and regional integration amid rising global geopolitical fragmentation.
According to Thai News Agency, Anutin spoke ahead of the 75th anniversary of Thailand-Australia diplomatic relations next year, outlining three key principles for middle powers navigating global uncertainty: strengthening regional institutions, maintaining strategic autonomy, and building economic resilience.
Highlighting the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Anutin reaffirmed Thailand's support for ASEAN centrality. On Myanmar, he cited the 5-Point Consensus and calibrated engagement, noting recent progress including access granted to the International Committee of the Red Cross to meet Aung San Suu Kyi. Regarding relations with Cambodia, he emphasized peaceful resolution through bilateral mechanisms.
Anutin defined strategic autonomy not as isolationism or strict neutrality, but as preserving independent decision-making and diversifying partnerships. He cited growing Thai-Australian cooperation against cybercrime and transnational crime as a key model of pragmatic collaboration. Anutin and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are scheduled to sign a joint declaration on transnational crime cooperation in Canberra to enhance law enforcement ties.
To bolster economic resilience, Anutin called for deeper integration in key sectors, including critical minerals, green technology, clean energy, and artificial intelligence, while thanking Australia for supporting Thailand's OECD accession bid.
"Thailand and Australia may not determine the global balance of power, but we can help shape how power is exercised in our region," Anutin said.