On August 6, 2024, representatives from the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) attended the 6th Ministerial Meeting of the Committee on Joint Development Strategy for Border Areas (JDS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, co-chaired by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and Malaysia.
The meeting endorsed the JDS Strategic Plan 2024-2027 and commended the roles of NESDC and Malaysia’s Ministry of Economy, as co-chairs of the JDS Working Group level meetings, for completing the strategic plan. The JDS Strategic Plan will employ the 3Es approach: Enhancing the Connectivity, Ensuring the Competitiveness, and Enriching the Human Capital, as a framework for bilateral cooperation in border area development.
The meeting welcomed the progress of cooperation under the JDS framework and supported the expeditious completion of the Sadao-Bukit Kayu Hitam Customs Complex connecting road project and the Rantau Panjang-Sungai Kolok bridge development project. The meeting also endorsed strengthening value chain connectivity between the Special Economic Zones of both countries, particularly in rubber and halal industries, to enhance the business environment and achieve the bilateral trade target of US$30 billion by 2027.
Both parties expressed their joint commitment to continue driving cooperation and implementing the JDS Strategic Plan 2024-2027 to achieve the vision of “Connecting Sustainable Prosperity” to improve the living standards of border communities based on mutual benefits.
