ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA:Thank you so much. I am absolutely delighted to welcome Prime Minister Anutin to Australia for his first visit as Prime Minister. Since establishing relations nearly 75 years ago, we will celebrate that next year, Australia and Thailand have built deep connections based on friendship and goodwill. In those years, we've worked together across trade, law enforcement, education, agriculture, innovation, and energy. That relationship and our continued engagement has paid dividends for both of our people.

Today, we discuss how we can make an even stronger contribution to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region. To do so, we'll work more closely across a range of areas. One is combating transnational crime. Through our close partnership, the Australian Federal Police and Royal Thai Police already work side by side to intercept narcotics, dismantle scam syndicates, and bolster regional responses to transnational crime. Today, we undertake to expand on decades of work between our countries by committing law enforcement agencies to strengthen operational cooperation to disrupt increasingly sophisticated global criminal networks. This undertaking is reflected in a new Joint Statement on Transnational Crime.

I am also pleased we agreed to elevate our defence relationship by committing to a Biannual Defence Ministers Meeting, an important evolution of our long-standing defence cooperation. We also discussed our shared concern about the conflict in the Middle East and its ongoing impact, and we agreed to coordinate closely to ensure supply chains remain open, secure, and resilient. And I want to thank the Prime Minister personally for his generous offer of access to jet fuel, as well, from Thailand, which is particularly welcome at this difficult time.

We agreed as well that free trade is vital to our strong economic partnership. Thailand is Australia's fourth largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, and our investment links is a priority, and it runs into the billions of dollars on both sides. As I reiterated to the Prime Minister today, building on the strong economic ties is a top priority for my government. Times of uncertainty call for greater global cooperation between partners who are reliable and dependable, and friends. As such, the Prime Minister and I agreed to enhancing our economic resilience through our Joint Statement on Deepening Economic Cooperation. This statement affirms that economic resilience is the foundation of our national security and prosperity, and that of our region, and it reflects our commitment to the full implementation of TAFTA, the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which benefits consumers and businesses in both nations.

Shortly, Prime Minister Anutin and I will meet with a senior Thai business delegation, many of whom hold substantial Australian investments. Government engagement is important, but it's also critical that our businesses work together in the interests of both of our nations. That is a key part of boosting economic engagement and taking forward the work of Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. I thank Austrade and the Thai Government for bringing this important forum together in Canberra, and today I affirm to Prime Minister Anutin Australia's strong support for Thailand's OECD accession bid.

Prime Minister, I'm delighted to host you today here at Parliament House, and delighted to host you and your wife tonight at The Lodge. This may be your first visit to Australia as Prime Minister, but I trust it will not be your last. And as we draw closer to celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations next year, I thank you for your personal invitation to visit to celebrate that milestone early next year. Our bond as friends, neighbours, and partners continues to grow, and I have no doubt that we will fully realise the potential of our cooperation as we deepen the relationship in the years ahead. I invite you to deliver your statement, Prime Minister.

ANUTIN CHARNVIRAKUL, PRIME MINISTER OF THAILAND:Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, members of the media. First of all, allow me to thank Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the people of Australia for the warm welcome that we have been given throughout the visit in this great country. It is of course a great honour for me to be here in Australia. This official visit comes 14 years after the last by a Thai Prime Minister, and at an important moment, as we look forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations next year, a truly historic milestone. In the year 2020, our two countries elevated our bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. Since then, our ties have grown closer than ever. Today, Prime Minister Albanese and I had a very productive meeting, focusing on four key areas of mutual interest.

First, political and security cooperation. We agreed to strengthen our joint response to traditional and emerging security challenges, particularly transnational crime, and to advance our cooperation through existing and future security frameworks.

Second, economic trade and innovation cooperation. We recognise the impact of current geopolitical and geo-economic dynamics on the global economy and emphasise the importance of deeper economic engagement to strengthen our shared resilience and prosperity.

Third, culture and people-to-people links. We are committed to equipping our people with future-ready skills through education, innovation, and capacity building. We deeply value the contributions of the Thai community in Australia, just as Thailand remains a top destination for Australian travellers.

Fourth, regional and multilateral cooperation. We reaffirmed our commitment to working together through regional frameworks and recognise Australia's important role in ASEAN, ACMECS, and Mekong-Australia Partnership, among others. Thailand also greatly appreciates Australia's steadfast support for our OECD accession.

As strategic partners, today marks another important step forward in our relationship. Prime Minister Albanese and I welcome the signing of two joint statements. The Joint Statement on Transnational Crime will strengthen cooperation in combating online scams, human and drug trafficking, and money laundering at the bilateral, regional, and global levels. The Leaders’ Statement on Deepening Economic Engagement reflects our determination to maximise the benefits of Thailand-Australia FTA, expand two-way trade and investment in priority sectors, support a rule-based multilateral trading system, and strengthen our economic resilience. We also welcome the letter of intent between our two countries, between Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Agency and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, to further advance cooperation in science, research, and innovation. We also welcome Australia's proposal to establish a Biennial Defence Ministers' Meeting, marking an important milestone in our defence cooperation and contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Our Defence Ministries will work closely to finalise the framework, and we look forward to its early realisation.

Looking ahead, I'm confident that our strategic partnership will remain an enduring foundation for Thailand and Australia, enabling us to deepen our ties, open new avenues of cooperation, and bring our countries and peoples even closer together.

Lastly, I extend my sincere appreciation once again to my dear Prime Minister Albanese and the Australian people for their warm hospitality. It is a pleasure to be here and to celebrate the friendship that has brought our two countries together over many decades. Thank you.