On 21 May 2024, Ms. Chidchanok Malayawong, Director of Development Promotion and Coordination Division, Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) and Mr. Steve G. Olive, Mission Director of United States Agency for International Development Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA) gave a lecture and shared their experiences during session  “Development Cooperation: A Strategic Tool for Thailand Diplomacy” in the training program for newly recruited diplomats assuming positions in 2024 organized by Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs (DVIFA).

The talk aims to enhance knowledge and understanding of international cooperation for development as a crucial component of foreign policy. Public diplomacy and development diplomacy are parts of the core mandates of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its mission to strive towards Thailand’s leadership in promoting and strengthening international cooperation to promote development protect security of the planet and its people through the provision of development assistance to other developing countries to progress towards the achievement of 2030 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals.

Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) invited Mr. Steve G. Olive, Mission Director of USAID/RDMA - one of TICA's closest and longest-standing partners, to give a lecture and share his experience in development diplomacy. Dr. Olive shared USAID’s long history of leadership in international development cooperation, as well as its mission in the region and partnership with TICA. This lecture provided a great opportunity for incoming diplomats to learn about development diplomacy as a strategic driving force of foreign policy, as well as its practical aspect of diplomatic skills in shaping and working with networks of cooperation partners from various countries which are crucial knowledge and skill for carrying out their diplomatic duty in their future career.