On 26 November 2014, H.E. Mr. Tharit Charungvat, Ambassador of Thailand to the Republic of Turkey, presented Letters of Credence to H.E. Mr. Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, at the Presidential Residence to assume another tenure of Ambassador of Thailand to the Republic of Azerbaijan.  

After the Credentials Presentation Ceremony, H.E. the Ambassador held a bilateral talk with H.E. the President of Azerbaijan. On the same day, he had separate bilateral discussions with H.E. Mr. Elmar Maharram oglu Mammadyarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Mr. Parvin Mirzazade, Chief of Protocol, and Mr. Eldar Salimov, Director General of Asia 2 Department, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

H.E. Mr. Tharit urged for exchange of high level visits between Thailand and Azerbaijan with a goal to boost multi-dimensional relations between the two countries. He also proposed to H.E. President Aliyev an initiative for the Azerbaijan Airlines to open a direct flight between Bangkok and Baku as a mean to attract tourists in the region traveling to Thailand, tapping on its potential of being the regional aviation hub, in addition to enhancing people-to-people contact between the two countries. H.E. Mr. Aliyev expressed his keen interest to concretize this initiative soonest.

H.E. Mr. Tharit invited Azerbaijan to open its Embassy in Thailand soon as the two countries had granted their mutual opening approval. He also proposed the Azeri side to attend the first Political Consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and Azerbaijan in Thailand during the Azeri’s delegation attends the survey trip for open its Embassy in Thailand in the latter half of 2015.

Moreover, both sides agreed to accelerate bilateral agreements negotiations on draft Agreements on Air Services, Visa Exemption for Holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports, Avoidance of Double Taxation and Investment Promotion and Protection, which are core foundation for promoting bilateral relations.

In international organisations,  H.E. the Ambassador expressed Thailand’s interest to tighten cooperation in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) as Azerbaijan has gained its proactive role and influence in the arena. On the other hand, Azerbaijan asked for Thailand’s support for its keen interest to take an observer position in ASEAN, considering the fact the southeast Asia is gaining its strategic importance in its foreign policy.

The presentation of Letters of Credentials to H.E. the President of Azerbaijan has now fully capacitated H.E. Mr. Tharit as the Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary to all five accredited countries under the Royal Thai Embassy in Ankara, namely Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Macedonia and Turkmenistan.

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Royal Thai Embassy, Ankara

8 December 2014