Thailand and France sign a Five-Year Development Cooperation Work Plan

On 21 January 2026, Mr. Chulvat Narinthrangura, Director-General of the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), and Mr. Cyrille Bellier, Director for Europe, the Middle East, and Asia of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), signed the Five-Year Work Plan for the Cooperation Programme (2026 - 2030) between TICA and AFD at the AFD Headquarters in Paris.

The newly signed Work Plan underscores the shared commitment of Thailand and France to promoting sustainable development in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It aims to elevate and adapt cooperation modalities at the bilateral, trilateral and regional levels to keep pace with an evolving global context. The Plan prioritizes key global development challenges, including biodiversity, environment and the One Health approach, climate change, and the blue economy, fostering inclusive, balanced, and long-term sustainability.

The Director-General of TICA and the Thai delegation also had a meeting with Mr. Jérémie Pellet, Chief Executive Officer of Expertise France (EF) - a key partner of TICA on various development projects. They also held a discussion with Ms. Sandra Kassab, AFD Director for Africa, to exchange views on Thailand's policy towards Africa under the Thailand - Africa Initiative (TAI). Discussions included outcomes from the recent Thailand - Africa Development Forum (TADF) held in December 2025 and explored future modalities for joint development cooperation in Africa, particularly potential pilot trilateral projects in Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.