On 25 September 2008, His Excellency Mr. Sompong Amornvivat
was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister and the 43rd Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand

The Minister comes into office at a time when Thailand’s foreign policy assumes center stage.  As in the past, priority will be given to strengthening relations with neighbouring countries so as to address outstanding issues as well as to embark upon new co-operative endeavours.  As the ASEAN Chair, the Kingdom will play a leading role in the region, particularly in pushing forward its community building process, in making it truly people-centered and in forging closer ties with its dialogue partners.  To this end, Thailand will host the 14th ASEAN Summit this December, during which the ASEAN Charter is expected come into force.  Against the backdrop of our increasingly globalized and inter-linked world, the Minister will also be tasked with charting Thailand’s policies towards such groupings as the Asia Co-operation Dialogue (ACD), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum (APEC) and the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) – many of which will hold summit level meetings during the next couple of months.

With his educational background and vast experience in business as well as in public office, the Minister comes well prepared to discharge his duties.  The Minister graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts in the United States, before being conferred a Masters of Arts degree in Political Science (Politics and Government) from Chiang Mai University in Thailand.  The Minister’s previous endeavours in the business world include having been General Manager of Thai Amarit Brewery Ltd.

Minister Sompong has been involved in national politics since the 1980s, serving several terms as Member of Parliament.  Prior to being appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, he has served as the Minister of Industry, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, and most recently, Minister of Justice --  not to mention the several other cabinet positions he has held as deputy minister in various portfolios and as the Thai Trade Representative.

The Minister therefore comes to the Foreign Ministry ready to lead the Kingdom’s foreign policy, especially as it discharges its responsibilities as the ASEAN Chair, so as to make foreign affairs and ASEAN more people-centred and relevant to all sectors of society.

                                                                   Department of Information
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
25 September 2008

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