Visit of the Director General of Expertise France to Thailand and the Philippines: AFD Group Strengthens its Presence in Southeast Asia

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Thailand

Bangkok, Friday, November 24, 2023 - Expertise France, a member of the AFD Group since 2022, has recently strengthened its presence in Southeast Asia by deploying a regional representative within the AFD Group's Regional Office in Bangkok. In this context, Mr. Jérémie Pellet, Director General of Expertise France, visited Thailand and the Philippines from November 20 to 24 as part of a regional mission aimed at meeting key partners and stakeholders of the French international technical cooperation agency and enhancing the Agency's ties in the region.

During this visit, Jérémie Pellet met with Madame Ureerat CHAREONTOH, Director General of the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), as well as representatives from the Asian Development Bank, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and European cooperation agencies present in Thailand. The purpose of this trip is to support Expertise France's activities in Southeast Asia, particularly in maritime security, disaster risk reduction (launch of the project DRREALL), and the transition towards a green economy prioritizing plastic waste reduction.

In Thailand, Expertise France specifically collaborates with partner institutions on projects contributing to the fight against major pandemics, regional security reinforcement, digital transition, and increased cooperation with regional or international organizations. The French agency also plays a broader role in Southeast Asia, working on projects contributing to sustainable and inclusive development, such as the Green Economy Program Philippines, designed to support the Philippines' transition to a green economy, support for budget reform in Cambodia, and assistance with the energy transition in Vietnam.

In the Philippines, Expertise France significantly contributes to the country's sustainable development and economic growth across key sectors such as health, education, economic development, and governance. Through specific projects (DRREALL, GEPP), Expertise France closely collaborates with local partners to strengthen capacities, promote innovation, and advocate for sustainable policies and practices. Whether in the establishment of professional training programs, support for maternal and child health, or the reinforcement of institutions, Expertise France actively contributes to achieving development goals in the Philippines while fostering constructive dialogue and fruitful cooperation with local stakeholders.

The implementation of these activities relies on numerous partnerships based on shared objectives. Mr. Pellet's visit aims to strengthen exchanges with authorities and institutions involved in the agency's activities. In Thailand, Mr. Pellet met with Madame Ureerat CHAREONTOH, Director General of TICA, to consolidate cooperation between the two agencies and identify areas of common intervention.

 

 

Mr. Jérémie Pellet's visit represents a significant opportunity for high-level institutional and operational meetings. The outcomes of these exchanges will further reinforce the commitment of Expertise France and the AFD Group alongside public partners in Southeast Asia, engaged in a common commitment towards sustainable development goals.

About Expertise France

As a public agency, Expertise France is the interministerial actor for international technical cooperation, a subsidiary of the Agence française de développement (AFD) group. The second-largest agency in Europe, it designs and implements projects that sustainably strengthen public policies in developing and emerging countries. Governance, security, climate, health, education, etc., it intervenes in key development areas and contributes alongside its partners to the realization of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

About the AFD Group

The AFD Group contributes to implementing France's policy on sustainable development and international solidarity. Comprising the Agence française de développement (AFD), responsible for financing the public sector and NGOs, research, and training; its subsidiary Proparco, dedicated to financing and supporting the private sector; and Expertise France, a technical cooperation agency, the Group finances, supports, and accelerates the necessary transitions for a fairer and more resilient world.

With and for the people, we build shared solutions with our partners in more than 150 countries, as well as in 11 French overseas departments and territories. Our goal? To reconcile economic development and the preservation of common goods: climate, biodiversity, peace, gender equality, education, health, among others. Our teams are engaged in 4,200 projects on the ground, contributing to France and the French people's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For a world in common.

Contact

Paul Boulet-Desbareau : bouletdesbareaup@afd.fr

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