Thailand, Laos expand cooperation

In a bilateral discussion Thursday between Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya with his Laotian counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisolith on the sideline of the third Asean Political Security Council, the Lao government expressed gratitude and appreciation of Thailand's effort in assisting repatriation of Hmong refugees at the end of last month.

According to deputy spokesman, Thanee Thongphakdee, Laos briefed Thailand on the progress of resettlement of the 4500 Hmongs inside the country.

Thongloun assured their safety and eventual reintegrationinto the society. Both sides also discussed ways to strengthen their bilateral cooperation in developing and joint fishing venture andd common power grids.

After the Mukdahan-Suvannakhet Bridge, linking Thailand and Laos, was open three years ago, contacts and trade between the two countries have increased enormously. Kasit broached the idea that Laos, Vietnam and Thailand could developa tripartite joint cooperation in fishery.

Northeastern Thailand and Laos are potential markets for the marine products from Vietnam.

He said that by using Route 9, Vietnamese seafoods could reach markets in Laos and neighboring Thailand in a few hours, maintaining freshness ofthe same-day delivery.

The Thai foreign minister helped to organize the land tour via Route 9 for the Asean foreign ministers to Danang, where they are scheduled to meet today and tomorrow.

They began their journey on Jan 12 from Suvannakhet and traveled by car to Danang to see first-hand the potential of Rout 9 as part of the Asean Connectivity plan to improve infrastructure throughout Asean members.

Kasit said that the road trip was a great opportunity for the Asean ministers to acquaint themselves with this important route, which would help promote closer cooperation between policy makers at the national level and local officials for closer connectivity with the grouping.

He added that the route would help promote the economic development of local communities, reduce the disparity of income between peoples living along the route, and thus help to alleviate transnational problems in the long run.

The East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) or Route 9 under the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) links the South China Sea in the Pacific Ocean to the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean, covering 1,600 km. of theroute connecting Mawlamyine (Myanmar) - Mae-Sot - Phitsanulok - KhonKaen - Kalasin - Muksahan (Thailand) - Savannakhet (Lao) - Lao Bao -Hue - Dong Ha - Da Nang (Vietnam).

The route was built to reduce the cost of trans-boundary trade and transportation, to promote tourism, trade and investment across the borders, to elevate the competitiveness by promoting cooperation in terms of finance, technology, market and production, to strengthen local communities by providing more source of income and reducing the sub-regional economic and social gap, and to develop the financially, economic, and environmental sustainable economic zone.