The 9th meeting of the Joint Russian-Thai Commission on Bilateral Cooperation was held in Moscow on August 14. It was chaired by Alexey Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, and Sikhasak Phuangketkaew, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.
At the meeting, Alexey Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, noted that trade between Russia and Thailand grew by almost 23% in the first five months of 2026. According to the minister, a good foundation has now been created for increasing bilateral trade volumes, and economic indicators are showing strong momentum.
Ivan Demchenko, Chairman of the Russian-Thai Business Council, stated that the growth of these economic indicators could be significantly higher. According to the Chairman of the RTBC, there are a number of barriers that need to be removed. First and foremost, this concerns payment instruments. The most important task today is to transition to settlements between Russia and Thailand in national currencies. An equally pressing issue is the certification of industrial and agricultural products. Currently, this process remains extremely complex and protracted for entrepreneurs from both countries.
"Russian businesses are interested in Thailand – as a market, as an investment platform, and as a partner with deep production expertise. Product certification is not a privilege. It is a clear procedure that must be predictable, professional, and within a reasonable timeframe. And this is a mutual matter. Businessmen from Thailand are also interested in Russia – as a huge market, a source of raw materials, food, technology, and opportunities for long-term projects. Many goods from Thailand could be in demand in Russia: agricultural products, seafood, feed, components, building materials, and spare parts. I suggest not expecting large-scale agreements across all product groups at once. "Let's start with specific pilot categories: meat and fish, steel and rubber products, medical products and cosmetics," noted Ivan Demchenko.
The third issue is access for Thai contractors, engineers, and specialists to the Russian market. In today's environment, the need for exchanging best practices is significantly increasing. Specialists will be able to exchange experiences through the joint implementation of industrial and infrastructure projects in both countries.
Special attention during the presentations by representatives of the Russian and Thai delegations was also given to the II Russian-Thai Investment Forum, which will be held in Bangkok on October 29-31, 2026.
At the meeting, Alexey Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, noted that trade between Russia and Thailand grew by almost 23% in the first five months of 2026. According to the minister, a good foundation has now been created for increasing bilateral trade volumes, and economic indicators are showing strong momentum.
Ivan Demchenko, Chairman of the Russian-Thai Business Council, stated that the growth of these economic indicators could be significantly higher. According to the Chairman of the RTBC, there are a number of barriers that need to be removed. First and foremost, this concerns payment instruments. The most important task today is to transition to settlements between Russia and Thailand in national currencies. An equally pressing issue is the certification of industrial and agricultural products. Currently, this process remains extremely complex and protracted for entrepreneurs from both countries.
"Russian businesses are interested in Thailand – as a market, as an investment platform, and as a partner with deep production expertise. Product certification is not a privilege. It is a clear procedure that must be predictable, professional, and within a reasonable timeframe. And this is a mutual matter. Businessmen from Thailand are also interested in Russia – as a huge market, a source of raw materials, food, technology, and opportunities for long-term projects. Many goods from Thailand could be in demand in Russia: agricultural products, seafood, feed, components, building materials, and spare parts. I suggest not expecting large-scale agreements across all product groups at once. "Let's start with specific pilot categories: meat and fish, steel and rubber products, medical products and cosmetics," noted Ivan Demchenko.
The third issue is access for Thai contractors, engineers, and specialists to the Russian market. In today's environment, the need for exchanging best practices is significantly increasing. Specialists will be able to exchange experiences through the joint implementation of industrial and infrastructure projects in both countries.
Special attention during the presentations by representatives of the Russian and Thai delegations was also given to the II Russian-Thai Investment Forum, which will be held in Bangkok on October 29-31, 2026.