On February 19-20, 2025, Mr. Chantanon Wannakejohn, Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics, in his capacity as Thailand’s APTERR Council member, participated in the 13th APTERR Council Meeting. He was accompanied by Mrs. Bundarika Krajangwong, Minister Counsellor (Agriculture) at the Royal Thai Embassy in Tokyo, and Ms. Hiranya Sarasom, Director of the International Agricultural Economics Division, representing Thailand at the meeting. Japan, as the host of the meeting, co-chaired the event with Brunei Darussalam.

The meeting included council members from the 10 ASEAN countries plus three dialogue partners: the People’s Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. Representatives from relevant organizations, including the ASEAN Secretariat, Asian Development Bank, World Food Programme, AFSIS Secretariat, and AFSRB Secretariat, also participated. Mr. Takinami Hirofumi, Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan, presided over the opening ceremony.

The APTERR Council Meeting is held annually to provide a platform for the 13 member countries to discuss and monitor the progress of APTERR Secretariat operations. Key agenda items included the work plans and budgets for 2024 and 2025, the financial status of the APTERR fund, rice release operations to assist member countries, and strategies to enhance the effectiveness of APTERR mechanisms.