DPM Ahmad Zahid Leads Malaysian Delegation To 14th AMRDPE In Bangkok
By Kenny Teng
BANGKOK, Dec 10 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will undertake a three-day working visit to Bangkok, Thailand, from 10 to 12 December.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said that Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, will lead the Malaysian delegation to the 14th ASEAN Ministers’ Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (AMRDPE) and related meetings.
During the meeting, he is expected to deliver a ministerial statement highlighting Malaysia’s efforts to advance early childhood development as well as technical and vocational education and training (TVET), aimed at equipping rural youth with advanced technical skills relevant to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
A Joint Statement will be issued at the conclusion of the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who also serves as Minister of Interior, as part of the visit.
Ahmad Zahid will be accompanied by senior government officials from the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, the Foreign Ministry, and the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.
The working visit is expected to further strengthen Malaysia-Thailand bilateral relations by enhancing existing cooperation, particularly in areas such as halal development, rural development, and poverty eradication.
In 2024, Thailand was Malaysia’s seventh-largest trading partner globally, and the third-largest among ASEAN member states, with total trade amounting to RM114.56 billion (US$25.03 billion).
From January to October 2025, bilateral trade between the two countries reached RM98.19 billion (US$22.79 billion), compared with RM95.52 billion (US$20.79 billion) during the same period in 2024.
-- BERNAMA
