On Thursday, September 10, 2026, Mr. Thanathit Raktabutr, Vice Minister for the Prime Minister’s Office, representing the Deputy Prime Minister (Dr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas) in his capacity as the Minister for the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) for Thailand, attended the 32nd IMT-GT Ministerial Meeting in Medan, North Sumatra, Republic of Indonesia. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and attended by Mr. Akmal Nasrullah Bin Mohd Nasir, Deputy Minister of Economy of Malaysia. Also in attendance were Mr. Winfried Wicklein, Director General of the Southeast Asia Department at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Mr. Nararya Soeprapto, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN, Ms. Sasitorn Phulattadech, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Economic and Social Development Council, Mr. Songklod Sawangwong, Governor of Trang Province, governors and vice governors from 14 southern provinces, senior officials from IMT-GT member countries, representatives from the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB), and representatives from relevant agencies.
The meeting acknowledged the progress of the IMT-GT program under the Implementation Blueprint (IB) 2022–2026. Key achievements include: a strengthened agricultural sector through the adoption of technology and innovation and cooperation on palm oil; the promotion of the subregion as a single tourism destination through joint projects; a robust Halal ecosystem developed by building expertise and certification standards; improved subregional transport connectivity through various agreements and infrastructure investments; the facilitation of cross-border trade and investment via the Framework of Cooperation in CIQ (FoC in CIQ) and the linking of Rubber City industrial estates; the expansion of Green City networks through investments under the Sustainable Urban Development Framework (SUDF); human resource development and labor mobility through joint subregional skill development projects; and enhanced digital connectivity through the expansion of internet networks and 5G distribution across the subregion.
Concurrently, the meeting discussed guidelines for the next five-year phase under the Implementation Blueprint (IB) 2027–2031. A key principle for subregional development involves elevating the role of Economic Corridors to expand economic opportunities within the IMT-GT area. On this occasion, the Thai Vice Minister for the Prime Minister’s Office, acting as the IMT-GT Minister for Thailand, recommended that these efforts be integrated with the driving mechanisms of the eight cooperation sectors and supported by a systematic progress monitoring and evaluation system.
Furthermore, the meeting emphasized mechanisms to promote private sector participation and joint investment, close cooperation with development partners such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the ASEAN Secretariat, and the progress of the Chief Ministers and Governors’ Forum (CMGF) in integrating the
Green Council into the CMGF framework to enhance coordination on green city development and the SUDF investment framework within the IMT-GT program.
Following the meeting, a signing ceremony was held for the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, the Government of Malaysia, and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on Palm Oil Cooperation.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and relevant agencies from member countries, witnessed by the IMT-GT Ministers of the three nations. The MOU aims to promote trade and the exchange of best practices in palm oil development through strategic cooperation to enhance industry competitiveness, share sustainability practices, and conduct joint research and development on palm oil products,
marking a significant step in boosting the competitiveness of the palm oil industry among IMT-GT member countries.
Additionally, the Vice Minister for the Prime Minister’s Office, along with the IMT-GT Ministers from Indonesia and Malaysia and other key participants, visited the IMT-GT Trade Fair exhibition held in front of the meeting hall. The fair featured 24 booths, including two from Thailand: (1) the Thai CMGF Secretariat Office in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and 14 southern provinces, and (2) the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Bank).
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By the Strategy and International Cooperation Coordination Division,
Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council
