MFA Press Statement - 6th Co-ordinating Meeting of the Thailand-Singapore Civil Service Exchange Programme

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRESS STATEMENT

6TH CO-ORDINATING MEETING OF THE THAILAND-SINGAPORE CIVIL SERVICE EXCHANGE PROGRAMME (CSEP),
THAILAND, 17-18 NOVEMBER 2003

The 6th Co-ordinating Meeting of the Thailand-Singapore Civil Service Exchange Programme (CSEP) will be held on 17-18 November 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Foreign Minister of Singapore, Professor S Jayakumar, and the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, Dr Surakiart Sathirathai, will officiate at the opening ceremony. Professor S Jayakumar will also call on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The CSEP meeting will be co-chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Mr Tan Chin Tiong and Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Mr Tej Bunnag. The Singapore delegation will comprise officials from various government agencies. The meeting will review the progress made in the implementation of joint projects since the 5th CSEP and identify new areas of collaboration.

Since the inaugural CSEP meeting held in Singapore in 1998, the CSEP process has strengthened linkages between the two civil services and increased avenues for exploring new areas of co-operation. It remains one of the key bilateral mechanisms for Singapore-Thailand co-operation. Under the process, substantial progress in bilateral co-operation has been made in various areas, especially in the areas of education and health. Even as new areas for co-operation are identified, existing linkages continue to be strengthened and deepened.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
14 NOVEMBER 2003