Executive Director hosts Prime Minister of Thailand at IEA headquarters for discussion on key energy issues

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol welcomed Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul of Thailand in Paris today for a meeting that covered the impacts and implications of the current energy crisis resulting from the war in the Middle East, as well as opportunities for the IEA and Thailand to deepen their existing collaboration on energy issues.

At the IEA’s headquarters in Paris, Prime Minister Charnvirakul and Dr Birol spoke about the repercussions of the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz for energy markets and those of other commodities. They discussed the major energy security challenges the situation is creating for countries in Asia, the region that is normally the destination for the vast majority of oil and gas exports transiting the Strait. They also spoke about what reduced access to fertilizers could mean for the region’s food security.

Prime Minister Charnvirakul was accompanied by a high-level delegation that included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ekniti Nitithanprapas. Together with Dr Birol, they spoke about how the IEA and Thailand could work together even more closely in the future, highlighting energy security and affordability as key areas of focus. Thailand is currently a member of the IEA Family as an Association country.