PUTRAJAYA, Thailand's Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa will undertake an official visit to Malaysia from Aug 5 to 6, during which he will have a bilateral meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. Malaysia's Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said the ministers will also co-chair the 15th Joint Commission Meeting for Bilateral Cooperation and 6th Meeting of the Committee on the Joint Development Strategy for Border Areas between Malaysia and Thailand. 'They are expected to discuss and review the progress of bilateral cooperation, including political and security, economy, tourism, social and cultural, as well as connectivity along the border areas,' the statement read. Both sides are also expected to discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest, it added. Maris is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday, the statement said. This marks Maris's first visit to Malaysia since being sworn in as Foreign Minister on May 1 this year. The Foreign Ministry stated that the visit reflects the excellent state of bilateral relations between Malaysia and Thailand as close neighbors and partners in ASEAN. 'It also provides an excellent opportunity to advance the partnership for progress and further strengthen the bonds of friendship between the governments and peoples of both countries,' it said. In 2023, Thailand was Malaysia's sixth-largest trading partner globally and second-largest trading partner among ASEAN countries, with total trade amounting to RM24.83 billion (US$113.16 billion), said the statement. Source: BERNAMA News Agency