Czechia, formerly known as the Czech Republic, and currently president of the Council of the European Union, is promoting the EU's space diplomacy project in Thailand and the Indo-Pacific region to cope with environmental problems and sustainable development.
In an exclusive interview with the Bangkok Post, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Martin Dvorak said Czechia has been involved in the EU's space diplomacy project since it took up the EU presidency earlier this year.
Mr Dvorak was speaking after a recent seminar held by the Embassy of the Czech Republic to Thailand under the theme of "EU Space Programme and 3SOS (safety, security and sustainability)" to present the EU's programme and explore potential cooperation in Thailand and the Indo-Pacific region.
"This collaboration not only focuses on Thailand, but also the Indo-Pacific and Asian region. Currently, Czechia and European Union are looking for further collaborations between the two regions.
''Space is endless and amid the endlessness, there is a question of what we debate. Some proposals were not on the table today, for example, the peaceful development of space as some threats or potential dangers could occur from sources such as the military.
''The matter we were debating today is international law on how to share the spaces that are available outside the planet,'' he said.
Seeking collaboration
Mr Dvorak said the EU and Thailand have collaborated on space diplomacy for over 15–20 years, such as when the EU helped Thailand build the satellites Theos 1, 2 and 2A, also known as the Thaichote satellites, to observe natural resources, agricultural sources and natural disasters across Thailand.
Now the Copernicus and Galileo projects are drawing the region's attention. While these projects have long been in place, Czechia suggested the EU present these projects to Thailand as they could be useful for the country in coping with natural disasters and threats to the environment.
He said Copernicus mainly focuses on climate change, especially natural disaster forecasting. This could help save lives and help prevent potential natural disasters. Galileo, meanwhile, focuses on environment navigation and protection. It works like GPS but is more precise, he said.
"It could be useful for Thailand as it battles flooding in many areas. Copernicus could help predict flooding, monitor floods and give warnings. Plus, it can provide detailed research on damage and any destruction caused by natural disasters. We can't stop natural disasters, but we can predict them,'' Mr Dvorak said.
The projects are also useful to the agricultural industry, especially in Thailand where agriculture makes a big contribution to national growth. These projects could help farmers monitor soil quality and make plantation cropping more effective. At the same time, they would help the farmers in planning fertiliser and pesticide demand, helping boost harvests.
According to EUSPA (European Union Agency for Space Programme), based in Prague, Galileo and Copernicus also contribute to smart, sustainable farming techniques. They are becoming the preferred technology for precision farming in European countries.
Opportunity for business
''We are interested in these projects, and looking for partners. They could help to open various business opportunities as well as helping our friends in Indo-Pacific," he said.
Mr Dvorak said people can download the data for free. All they need is a smartphone or computer to open websites about the EU Space Programme. This data could become the foundation of other technologies in the future as people could play with the data and come up with new ideas and applications.
"We're trying to develop it to become more precise. We think Thailand and Pacific region are part of our world and we share the same values, and also share some bad things such as climate change. This is why we are here to share the data,'' he said.
Referring to climate change, he said: ''We are with you. We are potential partners and we are friends and ready to collaborate with you. This is the highest message from over space that we are sending you.''