Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, President of the National Assembly and Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Thailand, on Wednesday, 8 October 2025, in Bangkok, during the Director-General’s official visit to Thailand, which is an Observer State in the Organization.

At the outset of the meeting, Dr. Matha welcomed Dr. AlMalik, emphasizing Thailand’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with ICESCO in various fields, particularly those related to promoting the values of coexistence, rejecting hatred, and respecting religions and cultures.

He praised the importance of ICESCO’s presence in Thailand’s cultural and intellectual scene through seminars, lectures, and meetings, as well as its cooperation with academic institutions and Thai universities. He further expressed his welcome to hosting ICESCO meetings in Bangkok in the future.

For his part, Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s main programs and initiatives, and highlighted Thailand’s position as a leading model in promoting tolerance, coexistence, and mutual respect, thanks to its rich history and contemporary experience. He also affirmed ICESCO’s keenness to engage Thailand in many of its future projects and initiatives, particularly those related to civilizational dialogue and cross-cultural understanding.

At the close of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik conveyed ICESCO’s intention to appoint Dr. Matha as one of the Organization’s Goodwill Ambassadors, in recognition of his distinguished career and outstanding efforts in promoting the values of coexistence and peace. Dr. Matha expressed his deep appreciation for this honor, voicing his pride in this recognition and his readiness to further support the close relations between ICESCO and Thailand, and to advancedevelop joint initiatives in this field.

The ICESCO delegation included Dr. Hani AlBalawi, expert at the Center for Civilizational Dialogue.