BANGKOK, May 19 (Xinhua) - Thailand and Indonesia officially agreed to elevate their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership on Monday, during the first official visit by an Indonesian leader to Thailand in 20 years.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with visiting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the government house in Bangkok, where they held discussion under the newly established leaders' consultation mechanism, which aims to enhance cooperation in various fields.

In a statement, Paetongtarn stressed the need for regular high-level meetings and the development of a clear plan of action to operationalize the newly formed strategic partnership.

On security cooperation, Thailand and Indonesia agreed to intensify efforts against transnational crimes, particularly online scams, human trafficking, and drug trafficking.

Prabowo thanked Thailand for aiding Indonesian victims of online scams and expressed full support for information exchange.

He emphasized potential enhanced security cooperation, including defense industry partnerships and joint military exercises.

Recognizing significant trade growth potential, Paetongtarn said Thailand will host the inaugural Thai-Indonesian Joint Trade Committee ministerial meeting this year to increase trade volumes, reduce trade barriers, and concretely promote economic cooperation.

The two sides highlighted enhancing ASEAN economic integration to strengthen the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) amid global volatility and potential U.S. trade measures.

The two leaders also witnessed the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on health cooperation, which facilitates knowledge exchange.

The visit marked Prabowo's first official trip to Thailand since taking office last October and coincided with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Photo from The Pattaya News