MADRID: Thailand has joined the 52 other members of the Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) in stressing the need to revitalise multilateralism amid ongoing challenges to the world order.
The 14th Asem Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Madrid on Sunday and Monday ended with a chairman's statement.
"Ministers underlined the value of Asem as a building block for strong and effective multilateralism and the rules-based international order, anchored in international law with the UN at its core," it read.
Ministers also reaffirmed the need to uphold, strengthen and reform the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core.
"Ministers reiterated their support for the Asean Community Vision 2025 and the centrality of Asean in the evolving regional architecture," the statement added.
Asem ministers also underlined the importance of denuclearisation and peace-building on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the repatriation and protection of people displaced from Rakhine state in Myanmar.
Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai proposed four points during his speech at the meeting.
"First, Asem must take every opportunity to send out a clear message that this body of 53 members will work to reinforce and strengthen multicultural mechanisms, including itself, which is a multicultural gathering," he said.
"Second, given the current deficit in global trust, Asem must continue to advance rules-based multilateralism ... on the basis of such principles as mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual benefit."
On sustainability, he said Asem should intensify efforts to meets its original objective announced at its first summit 23 years ago in Bangkok, to promote sustainable peace, global stability and the regions' prosperity.
On the fourth point, Asem should ensure inclusiveness, especially for women and youngsters, he said.
Thailand will next year host an Asem Youth Camp for Marine Sustainability and a seminar on public health emergencies.