On 26 June 2024, H.E. Mrs. Phantipha Iamsudha Ekarohit, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Thailand to ASEAN, attended the Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) at the ASEAN Secretariat.

                   Ambassador Phantipha underlined the importance of the TAC as a symbol of fostering strategic trust and confidence between the 54 High Contracting Parties, and proposed activities to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the TAC in 2026.

                   The TAC is the first international treaty of ASEAN, which was established by five founding members, namely Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, and signed by their Foreign Ministers in February 1976. The purpose of the TAC is to be a code of conduct for all High Contracting Parties in their relations with one another, guided by key principles, including mutual respect for sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs, settlement of disputes by peaceful means, renunciation of the threat or use of force, and effective cooperation.

Photo courtesy of the ASEAN Secretariat