The 16th Senior Officials' Meeting between the European Union and Thailand took place on 10 November 2022, in Brussels.
 
In the context of their steadily deepening relationship, the EU and Thailand discussed the current difficult geopolitical context where some seek to put in question the fundamentals of the international order. Both the EU and Thailand stressed the importance of their partnership and the need to enhance their bilateral dialogue at all levels.
 
The EU and Thailand addressed a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including recent developments in bilateral relations, as well as global and regional issues. Discussions were held in a friendly atmosphere and covered in particular trade and economic relations, climate change, sustainable development and environmental issues, including possible enhanced cooperation on forest issues, as well as human rights, security, migration and labour issues. 
 
The EU and Thailand reaffirmed their commitment to continue cooperating and sharing experience in the fight against illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU).  They welcomed the signing of an administrative arrangement which will encourage collaboration between leading Thai researchers and European Research Council grantees and their teams.
 
Prior to the meeting, the EU-Thailand Working Group on Trade and Investment was also convened.
 
The EU reiterated its principled position on Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine. The EU welcomed the successful vote to condemn Russia's attempted illegal annexation at the UN General Assembly on 12 October 2022 and the overwhelming support of the international community thereby expressed in defending the UN Charter. The EU and Thailand shared their respective assessments on the need for further engagement, including in international fora, to address the ongoing conflict.
 
The EU expressed its deep concerns on the continuing escalation of violence in Myanmar. The EU reaffirmed its support to ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus while expressing its concerns about the lack of progress in implementing it. The EU recognised that ASEAN faces difficult choices in deciding its own next steps to address the military takeover in Myanmar more effectively and encouraged Thailand and ASEAN to take bold decisions to put the country back on its democratic path.
 
The EU and Thailand welcomed their continued excellent cooperation in the context of the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, based on shared values and principles. They both looked forward to the holding of the EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit on 14 December in Brussels. 
 
The EU and Thailand welcomed the conclusion of negotiations on the EU-Thailand Partnership and Co-operation Agreement and looked forward to its signature in Brussels in December. 
 
The meeting was co-chaired by Ms Paola Pampaloni, Deputy Managing Director, Asia and the Pacific, European External Action Service and by Mr Asi Mamanee, Director-General of the Department of European Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.