BANGKOK: Singapore and Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Wednesday (Sep 2) to strengthen cooperation in social sector development.

The agreement was signed by Singapore's Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli and Thailand's Social Development and Human Security Minister Nikorn Soemklang. 

Under the MOU, cooperation will take place in five areas, including personnel exchanges between relevant institutions and the sharing of knowledge and research on social welfare policies and programmes.

It will also cover visits to social service institutions and joint capacity-building activities such as workshops and training.

Singapore and Thailand may also work together in other mutually agreed areas involving women, family, and social welfare and development. 

Speaking at a joint press conference with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the connectivity the two countries are seeking depends on the connections between their people.

"We will continue to promote closer people-to-people ties, including among our civil servants and researchers," he said.

"The MOU we just signed on cooperation in social sector development will also enable us to learn from each other's experiences and find new solutions together."

FIRST LEADERS' RETREAT IN MORE THAN A DECADE

The agreement was signed during the Singapore-Thailand Leaders' Retreat in Bangkok on Wednesday, the first between Mr Wong and Mr Anutin.

It also marked the revival of the Leaders' Retreat after a hiatus of more than a decade. The previous edition was held in Singapore in 2015. 

Mr Wong said he was glad that both countries had revived the platform, which allows them to take stock of bilateral...