An AIT delegation headed by the Chairman of the Board, Dr. Tej Bunnag, and which included the two Vice Chairpersons of the Board, H.E. Mrs. Merete Fjeld Brattested, Ambassador of Norway, and Dr. Jean-Pierre A Verbiest, ADB Country Director for Thailand, and AIT President Said Irandoust, paid a visit to Mr. Virasakdi Futrakul, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand, on 11 October 2007.
The AIT delegation was able to provide a detailed briefing on the AIT Charter, which has now been formally submitted to the Ministry as the Board approved final version. The Ministry is fully supportive and assured AIT that it would expedite the process wherein the goal of AIT attaining international status could be achieved at the earliest. The Ministry will soon be making a formal communication to AIT's current partner countries and international entities, as well as founding member countries currently not in the Board, namely UK, US, Australia, and New Zealand, explaining the process and timeframe to be followed, and subsequently host a meeting, at which the Charter is expected to be formally adopted.
Work on the new AIT Charter was initiated in 2004 under the helm of H.E. Mr. Anand Panyarachun, former Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees. The process has involved extensive review by the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees of AIT, as well as several consultations between trustees and their respective home governments. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand, has extended advice, support and guidance to AIT throughout this long process process.