Thai Ambassador to Australia to enhance cooperation with Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)

On 24 February 2022, H.E. Ms. Busadee Santipitaks, Thai Ambassador to Australia, together with Mr. Sira Swangsilpa, Minister, and Mr. Smith Thummachua, Minister-Counsellor (Agriculture), met with Professor Andrew Campbell, CEO of Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), in Canberra.

Professor Campbell and representatives of ACIAR comprising Dr. Peter Horne General Manager (Country Partnership), Dr. Julianne Biddle, Director (Multilateral Engagement), and Ms. Irene Kernot, Research Program Manager (Horticulture) gave an overview of ACIAR’s mission as well as identified areas for potential collaboration with Thailand.

As an agency directly reporting to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ACIAR provides aid support and technical cooperation in the fields of agriculture, fishery and forestry to 34 recipient countries in South East Asia, East Asia, South Asia, South Pacific and Eastern Africa. With Thailand, ACIAR has collaborated in partnership with relevant governmental agencies and academic institutions in Thailand from 1982 up until 2019. As Thailand has graduated from being a recipient country, Thailand continues to pursue technical cooperation with other countries and international agencies in essential sectors to advance Thailand’s economic development.

During the meeting, Ambassador Busadee and Minister-Counsellor Smith discussed with ACIAR on ways to revitalize research collaboration between the Thai side and
ACIAR as well as the possibility to expand Thai-Australian technical cooperation in the Third Countries.

In December 2021, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, appointed Dr. Sermsuk Salakphet, former Director-General of the Department of Agriculture of Thailand, as a member of ACIAR’s Policy Advisory Council for international agricultural research.