asianews: 10/03/09

Supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi in Seoul, South Korea

Suu Kyi has recently shown an interest in dialogue with Burma's rulers

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has met a member of the country's ruling military government for the first time since early 2008.

Ms Suu Kyi, who is under renewed house arrest in Rangoon, met labour minister Aung Kyi, her lawyer said.

The meeting came one day after a court rejected her appeal against her 18 month sentence.

There was no official word on what they discussed, but Ms Suu Kyi has offered to help negotiate an end to sanctions.

Aung Kyi has met Ms Suu Kyi on six previous occasions, the last time in January 2008.

"The meeting lasted about 50 minutes, but I don't know what was discussed," a home ministry official told Reuters news agency.

Negotiations hope

Nyan Win, her lawyer and an official from her opposition party, the National League for Democracy, said: "I don't know what they discussed, but I believe it could be related to the letter sent last week to the senior general [Than Shwe].

Ms Suu Kyi recently made a formal offer to the military rulers to help negotiate an end to international sanctions.

Reports suggest she has softened her views on sanctions in recent times, concluding that they are adversely affecting the lives of ordinary Burmese.

Earlier in the week a senior US official confirmed he had met a Burmese government minister in New York - the first such contact in more than 10 years.

That came after the US announced a new policy on Burma, which consists of a mix of sanctions and dialogue.

Aung San Suu Kyi's party won Burma's last elections in 1990 but was never allowed to take power.

Observers believe Burma's military authorities want to keep the pro-democracy leader in detention until after polls scheduled for next year.

Sumatra quake 'levelled villages'

Aerial views of some of the devastation caused by the quake in Sumatra

Thousands of people may have died in remote village areas when a powerful earthquake struck Sumatra last week, emergency workers and officials fear.

Some villages were completely destroyed in landslides, with access roads torn apart by the quake preventing medical teams reaching the injured.

Aid is now arriving in Indonesia, but hopes are fading of finding survivors in the worst-hit city of Padang.

More than 1,000 people have died in the city. About 3,000 others are missing.

Australian, British, Japanese and South Korean rescuers have arrived in Indonesia and the EU and Russia are also sending help.

But while rescue efforts are still concentrated in Padang, there are serious concerns that it may be too late to save most of those missing, presumed trapped beneath the city's collapsed concrete buildings.

Instead the focus is shifting to emerging stories of widespread destruction in areas outside the city.

The 7.6-magnitude quake devastated a large stretch of Sumatra's coast

Enlarge Image

At least 600 people are believed to be missing in villages north of Padang.

"All the houses seem to have been swallowed by earth," a health ministry official in the village of Pulau Aik told the Associated Press.

Villagers contacted by reporters told of hundreds of people missing in each settlement.

"In my village, 75 people were buried. There are about 300 people missing from this whole area. We need tents and excavators to get the bodies but the roads are cut off," one villager, Ogi Martapela, told Reuters.

One Red Cross worker, Testos, told Reuters his team needed medicines, drinking water and clothes to take to those left homeless by the quake.

But access to these areas remains difficult, and few details are known yet of the extent of the destruction or the loss of life.

Local TV stations have begun to reach some of the affected areas, broadcasting images of villages reduced to rubble and tales of villagers without access to clean water.

"We have not received a thing. We need food, clothes, blankets, milk. It seems like the government has forgotten about us," Reuters quoted one woman, Siti Armaini, as saying in Pariaman, 40km (25 miles) north of Padang.

Hope dwindles

In Padang, witnesses report that the stench of decomposing bodies now hangs over collapsed buildings as rescuers battle to reach survivors.

Troops in the wreckage of a hotel in Padang

More and more teams are arriving in Padang to aid relief work

At the collapsed wreckage of a hotel, rescuers worked frantically on Saturday to find any of eight people thought to have survived Wednesday's earthquake.

One person trapped in the ruins of the Ambacang Hotel sent a text message to a relative on Friday asking for help, rescuers revealed.

Those trapped were believed to be on what was the 6th floor. But by mid-afternoon in Padang none of the eight had been located.

The head of a Japanese search and rescue team said his men and dogs had found "no signs of life".

"Our dogs are trained to smell for living people, not the dead, and they didn't sense anything," Hidehiro Murase told AP.

Specialist teams from around the world have begun arriving at co-ordination centres in Padang, waiting to be deployed to the field.

The Red Cross planned to hold a meeting in the city on Saturday to co-ordinate relief efforts.

The priority is to ensure injured survivors receive the medical attention they needed, Red Cross officials say.

Two Australian planes carrying medical personnel and rescue experts have arrived in Padang, with dozens of British firefighters - delayed for 24 hours by a broken-down plane - due to join a 16-man charity deployment late on Saturday.

As well as the Japanese, a Swiss sniffer-dog team is already on the ground, and Russian and Estonian personnel have all been sent. Countries around the world have pledged relief funds.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has also called for $10m (£6.2m) in government aid to be distributed quickly.

"The... fund has to flow quickly, no more bureaucracy for this," he said. "This is an emergency, so speed is crucial."

Wednesday's 7.6-magnitude quake struck off the coast of Padang and caused devastation. A second quake of 6.8 struck nearby on Thursday causing panic but no reports of damage or casualties.

Storm spares Philippines capital

Typhoon Parma hits Philippines

Typhoon Parma has begun bringing strong winds and heavy rain to northern parts of the storm-battered Philippines.

However, it weakened and changed course as it neared and most of the country - including the flood-hit capital, Manila - is expected to escape major disaster.

Earlier, President Gloria Arroyo declared a "state of calamity" and 33,000 people were told to leave homes.

Hundreds died as Typhoon Ketsana hit the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam last week.

The latest storm, though, has taken a more northerly course, sparing the central areas worst hit by Ketsana, including Manila.

Power lines and trees in the far north were toppled, the Associated Press reported, by winds measured at 175kph (108mph) - down from its earlier force of 230km/h (140mph), but still capable of inflicting major damage.

Map showing the predicted path of typhoon Parma

While Manila, still struggling to recover from severe and widespread flooding, is expected to be spared, areas of Luzon province and the far northern region of Cagayan were expected to see significant rainfall.

Parma was due to make landfall in Aurora province near the northern tip of the main island of Luzon.

Ships poised

Despite the improved forecast, officials in the Philippines warned those evacuated from their homes against returning too quickly.

A woman with her child in Rizal province

Parts of the country are still flooded after Typhoon Ketsana

"I urge the refugees intending to go back to their homes to please remain in our evacuation centres for the meantime, because we cannot predict with 100% accuracy what will happen in Manila during the storm," said Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

"We are concerned about the effects of more rain on the relief work in flooded areas because the water level could rise again," he said.

US Navy Admiral Timothy Keating said two ships were off the coast of Manila carrying full medical facilities and hundreds of marines who were ready to go wherever needed.

"The weather forecast is pretty grim for the north part of Luzon," he said.

"We think the threat to downtown Manila is lower than it is to the north part of Luzon."

Typhoon Ketsana caused nearly 300 deaths in the Philippines, as well as more than 100 in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Parts of the Philippines near Manila remain flooded after Ketsana dropped a month's worth of rain in 12 hours last Saturday.

Hundreds of thousands remain homeless in and around Manila in the wake of the storm.

US and Cambodia discuss debt and strengthening relationship

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Monday to discuss on a wide-range of issues, from human rights to bilateral debt, a US State Department official said.

The two top diplomats met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and their discussion focused on democracy, human rights, recent development at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, law enforcement, US involvement in regional issues like Burma and the lower Mekong region, the official told VOA Khmer on Wednesday.

The official, who asked not to be named because they were speaking on behalf of the State Department, confirmed that the subject of Cambodia’s debt to the US was brought up.

The official did not want to discuss results of the meeting.

One day before meeting Clinton, Hor Namhong told VOA Khmer that he would bring up the issue of debt Cambodia owed to the US. Some Cambodian officials say the amount is more than $300 million.

“Cambodia has never demanded reparations for the [US] bombing during the Vietnam War, which killed many Cambodians and caused damages. Cambodia has never asked for compensation. Therefore, the US should understand the debt Cambodia owes,” Hor Namhong told VOA Khmer in a one-on-one interview on Sunday.

Hor Namhong said he would also like to turn majority of the debt into development assistance and Cambodia would pay a small portion of it if the US cannot cancel it completely.

Foreign Minister Discusses Growing US Relationship

Editor’s note: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong Sept. 28 to discuss on a wide range of issues, from human rights to bilateral debt. The two top diplomats met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Prior to the meeting, Hor Namhong sat with VOA Khmer to discuss Cambodia’s improving relations with the US and its future.

Q. First of all, can you tell us what benefit Cambodia gets from its relations with the US, commercially and militarily?

A. I would like to tell you that relations with the US have been getting better over the last few years, and I would also like to highlight that the US has lifted a ban on military aid to Cambodia, as well as restrictions on all direct assistance to the government. Within this context, assistance has been provided focusing on demining, education and health. From 1999 until now there has been more than $250 million.

Political relations are also good. There have now been two meetings between the Cambodia and US foreign ministries. There will be more meetings every year. Recently, since Mr. [Barack] Obama became president, he has removed Cambodia from a trade blacklist. These show that step by step and day by day, our relations are improving very well, with the only exception that trade is decreasing. This is nothing of a bad relationship. It is merely due to the global economic crisis, which has made the US economy go down, making our textile exports, which include garments, shoes, etc. to fall.

In 2008, we exported around $2 billion to the US markets, but within the first six months of 2009, we exported only around $900 million.

Q. And on military assistance?

A. It is obvious that military assistance is not yet significant, but the positive point is that the two countries now have a military relationship and cooperation. The US has provided training to our peacekeepers, and there are good relations between the two armies on peace operations.

Recently, as you may already know, there was a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Tea Banh to meet with the US Defense Secretary Robert Gates. There is also an agreement that the two countries will continue military cooperation. These are good points on military relations.

Q. I understand that you will have a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In what other areas does Cambodia want US assistance?

A. Apart from discussing how to strengthen, deepen and improve our relations, I will ask [Clinton] to ask the US government to relieve Cambodia's debt, because it was from the Lon Nol regime. The loan was for buying war weaponry to fight in Cambodia. I will tell her that Cambodia has never demanded reparations for the [US] bombing during the Vietnam War, which killed many Cambodians and caused damages. Cambodia has never asked for compensation. Therefore, the US should understand the debt Cambodia owes.

Q. On this debt cancelation, what trade will Cambodia offer to get the deal? In some countries, in exchange for debt relief, the country offers to invest in its education.

A. First, we will ask the US to totally cancel the debt, but if this is not possible, we will then ask to turn the majority of it into development assistance, and Cambodia will pay a certain small portion of it.

Q. On another front, the US surely promotes human rights and democracy, so what are the challenges Cambodia has in this area?

A. On this issue, I would like to inform all Cambodian listeners of Voice of America radio to clearly understand that, in his address to the UN General Assembly a few days ago, President Obama made it clear that democracy cannot be imported from outside and imposed on a country to accept it. Democracy must be rooted based on a country’s uniqueness.

Therefore, as for Cambodia, I would like to remind those who criticize the government, criticize human rights in Cambodia and criticize freedom of expression, that as for you who criticize the government from the US or other countries, and within Cambodia, freely without any punishment, this is a full freedom of expression; but there should not be confusion between [freedom of] expression and defamation, for which each country has its own laws to protect each individual.

For those who would like to express your opinion, you can do so, but once you defame others, they also have their own human rights, to seek the court to find justice for them on defamation. Therefore, there should not be confusion between freedom of expression and defamation.

Q. This relates to recent developments on the rights issue. But overall, in relation to human rights, will there be an area that Cambodia will focus on and needs to promote?

A. We recognize that human rights in Cambodia are not 100 percent good, but the important thing is that there is a commitment from the government to improve the respect for human rights. As you can see, and the Cambodian people can see: which country has thousands of non-governmental organizations working in the country, and out of this number there are hundreds of organizations and civil society groups working on human rights? Is there any country like Cambodia? This is freedom of expression, democracy, and respect for human rights in Cambodia.

In addition to that we have a permanent office of the human rights council working with the government to protect human rights. We now have the UN rapporteur, who was formerly called the UN special representative on human rights in Cambodia. So we have everything. The government is open to the respect of human rights and improvement of human rights in Cambodia. However, I see that once we give more rights, they still demand for more. There seems to be no limit.

Q. Does Cambodia have a mechanism to review and tackle issues raised by those organizations, implicating some individual or institution in rights violations?

A. In Cambodia we also have human rights committees in the [National Assembly] and the Senate. There is also a national committee to protect human rights, in addition to the hundreds of civil society organizations that we have.

Q. I would like to link this issue to the US assistance to Cambodia. How do you ensure that the assistance does not benefit those who have been implicated in human rights violations?

A. With all US assistance to Cambodia, as well as assistance from other countries and international organizations, there is not a single dollar or cent falling into the hands of human rights violators or into corruption. All assistance is used in line with objectives wanted by donor countries. I also would like to say that despite comments and accusations, embassies and representatives of other international institutions know that their assistance is used properly.

Q. Turning away from US-Cambodia relations to focus on Cambodia and Asean: as a new member of Asean, what strategy does Cambodia have to catch up with older members?

A. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that among the 10 members of Asean, Cambodia is the last to participate. Whether you like it or not, there is a gap between the older six Asean countries and the four new members, namely, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar [Burma]. There is an economic gap. Therefore, all [members of] Asean understand that integrating the Asean economy to make sure that all the 10 members become as one so that there is no economic gap. This is the most important one. It is the target. It is Asean’s priority.

As you know, Asean has decided to form an Asean community in 2015. And from now until 2015, I always say that integrating Asean into one and to be one family without an economic gap is the most important factor, a top priority in forming an Asean community.

It is meaningless to have an Asean community by 2015 if we cannot integrate the Asean economy. We are now doing it with our own effort and with support from other older members, as well as Asean partners. We are trying our best to develop the Cambodian economy to make sure that we walk at the same pace as other Asean countries.

Q. It has been more than ten years since Cambodia has become a member of Asean. What benefits has Cambodia gained from its membership?

A. This is the question that many people have asked me. I would like to tell you that, first, Cambodia receives bilateral assistance. It comes directly from countries like China, Japan, France and the US. They assist us directly. It is bilateral assistance, but at the same time Cambodia receives assistance within Asean as well. They assist the 10 members of Asean or assist the four new members. Therefore, we receive assistance both bilaterally and within an Asean framework. This is financial and economic assistance. I have not talked about political support yet.

On the political front, we have to know that if we talk of Cambodia as a single country and Cambodia as a member of Asean, there’s a differnece, because it has a joint force of 10. Cambodia by itself is just one, but Cambodia in Asean is a force of 10 with us. Therefore, we have benefitted both politically and economically. I always say that joining Asean is necessary both economically and politically.

Q. Do you see other Asean members as markets for Cambodian products? And what products are potential for the markets?

A. Cambodia has changed a lot. I’ll just take one example, with Vietnam: our trade has increased to more than $1 billion by now, and in 2010 we hope to increase it up to $2 billion. With Thailand, it has also increased. We have also exported rice to Brunei and Indonesia. We have increased trade with Asean.

Q. Let’s turn aside from Asean. Where will Cambodia be globally in 2015?

A. I would like to tell you honestly and frankly that I am very optimistic about Cambodia’s future by 2015 and beyond. The most important thing is: what does Cambodia need? We need peace and political stability. Once we have peace we can do whatever we want.

Obviously, as you see and the Cambodian people see, objectively and without a political stance, that in Cambodia there is economic growth. There is progress. There is much progress, and from until 2015, I believe that Cambodia will step forward more.

Q. Can you pick any specific area where you see strong potential for Cambodia? For instance, recently Cambodia turned itself from a recipient of UN assistance to become a country contributing to UN peacekeeping operations by sending its deminers overseas. Are there any other areas in which Cambodia will be successful?

A. Apart from sending peacekeepers to take part in UN peacekeeping operations in Sudan, demining in Sudan, Chad and Central Africa, we will surely have economic growth. I strongly believe so.

Q. Finally, in relation to the border dispute Preah Vihear temple, Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to solve the problem bilaterally. How long will Cambodia put up with this mechanism and are you optimistic that it will resolve differences between the two countries?

A. I see that border disputes do not only happen between Cambodia and Thailand. They occur also in other countries, like between China and Russia, China and India, and China and Vietnam. They spend years to settle their border issues. Border issues cannot be solved quickly, as we want.

It takes patience. Therefore, Cambodia is also like Thailand. We are patient to solve it peacefully and bilaterally. The most important thing is that we have already agreed to solve it based on the 1904 convention between France and then-Siam [currently Thailand], and the 1907 treaty between France and Siam, and especially an MoU [memorandum of understanding] signed between Cambodia and Thailand in 2000.

There are all legal grounds. Therefore, based on the legal basis and documents, it is easy for us to plant border posts between Cambodia and Thailand. However, where is the difficulty? The difficulty lies in Thai internal affairs. Some political extremists in Thailand have spilled their internal problems on the Cambodian-Thai border. They have put their extreme nationalism into the border issue, which is difficult to solve. I hope that in the future, when the sense of extreme nationalism dies out, when there is political stability in Thailand, we will then turn to the official legal documents to solve this problem. This is a lot easier than using a war to solve a border issue.

Q. Is there a possibility of seeking outside parties like Asean or the UN to help?

A. I have said on several occasions that while we have agreed to solve the problem bilaterally, at the same time we are also prepared to solve the problem by other legal means. We are well prepared.

Q. Is there any message that you would like to send to VOA Khmer listeners?

A. Finally, I would like to tell the Cambodian people who are VOA listeners that we must be hopeful about the future of Cambodia, since we now have peace, political stability, and constant economic growth, from one year to another. So Cambodia’s future will be bright. This is my optimism, that our future will be bright. Economic development will go forward, and we will be more and more prosperous. Thank you.

Cambodian Concerns over Thai Motivation in Border Issues

The Cambodian Government said on Friday that it has concerns about the political motivation of Thai leaders over border issues between Cambodia and Thailand near Cambodia’s 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

“As we have seen in border issues, n the future, Thailand will not abandon ambitions to take Cambodian land,” Pen Ngoeun, advisor to the Council of Ministers of Cambodia told reporters at a press conference at his office.

The border issues between two countries near Preah Vihear flared into armed clashes because of political motivation from Bangkok, he said, adding that Thai ‘yellow shirt’ protesters rally at the border near Preah Vihear temple with organized support.

“Thailand has still exercised and showed the ambition to invade Cambodian territory,” he stated, and Thais have been repeatedly foiled from occupying areas belonging to Cambodia around the site.

The Thais have erroneously used a map drawn by themselves to falsely stake claim to about 4.6 km square of Cambodian territory, he added. At the same time, he also launched a book title A Challenge to Thailand’s Denunciation of UNESCO and the World Heritage Committee to better explain the background to the current border issues with Thailand. Though both sides “have continued to deal the border issues which based on the peacefully bilateral deal and used all existing mechanisms,” he said. “we have noted that the Thai side have still used a hostile policy to take Cambodian land and it shows that they are not civilized people.”

Thai “extremists” must respect international law, such as the 1962 ruling of the World Court, which unequivocally awards Preah Vihear temple and its nearby environs to Cambodia. In fact, the World Court’s ruling, which Thailand initially promised to respect then rejected after they lost, was based on older documentation.

A 1904-07 border treaty between Thailand, then known as Siam, and France, the colonial representative of Cambodia, also drew the same boundary recognized by the World Court and currently claimed in by negotiations by Cambodia. That agreement was signed by the Thai monarch reigning at the time.

Earlier this week, Cambodia’s prime minister warned that any unauthorized incursions by foreigners, including civilians, would be met with deadly force. He also warned he would tear up the Thai map used in negotiations, saying he would not attend the upcoming ASEAN summit in Thailand.

In contrast, the Thai Foreign Ministry yesterday said that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen would attend the 15th Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) Summit in the Thai seaside report of Hua Hin in October 23-25. Veerasak Futrakul, Permanent-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, said “bilateral talks between Thai and Cambodian leaders regarding the border dispute near the ancient Preah Vihear temple has not yet been set up”. Cambodia and Thailand have confronted at the border with heavy weapons and military forces since in July 15 after Cambodia registered Preah Vihear temple as world heritage site and the armed clashed killed at least than 10 soldiers from both sides. Now Cambodian and Thai border situation is normal. Joint Border Committee will continue it tasks for the talks. But Pen Ngoeun said that he did not know exactly when they restart talks or border demarcation at areas near Preah Vihear temple.”

Vietnamese businesses gain traction in Cambodia

A woman carries a large load of goods from Vietnam to Cambodia via the Tinh Bien Border Gate.

Thai and Chinese enterprises lose Cambodian market shares to Vietnamese investors.

Le Hong Thuyen is home from Cambodia looking for new suppliers for her shopping mall in Phnom Penh.

The mall, named Vinamart, is the Cambodian capital city’s number-one outlet for Vietnamese products. When it opened in 2006, Vinamart only sold a limited product range supplied by 16 Vietnamese producers. But the outlet has grown larger, and now offers a vast array of both Vietnamese and Cambodian goods.

“It’s a surprise that Cambodian people like Vietnamese goods these days,” said Thuyen. “They especially like Vietnamese food products... they’ve gotten to know and trust Vietnamese brands.”

Lay Vannak, deputy major of Takeo Province, which borders Vietnam’s An Giang Province in the Mekong Delta, said Vietnamese products had expanded their market shares in Cambodia and “some products have defeated those from Thailand and China.”

He said Vietnamese businesses have improved their competitiveness in terms of both quality and packaging.

Launch-pad

An Giang Province has a long border with Cambodia and accounted for 70 perct of bilateral trade between the two countries. Vietnam exported US$1.7 billion goods to Cambodia last year, an annual growth rate of 40-45 percent.

In August, the province officially opened the Tinh Bien Economic Border Gate Zone, where Cambodians, Vietnamese and international tourists can access duty free goods at the border.

Nguyen Minh Tri, head of the province’s Economic Border Gate Authorities, said the zone and its ten supermarkets were a strategic foundation upon which Vietnamese goods could penetrate the Cambodian market.

He also said the zone acted as a depot from which exports were launched to other markets around the globe.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Industry a Trade Service said it was difficult for Vietnamese businesses to store their products in Cambodia and it would be hard for them to boost their exports to the market where local production was underdeveloped.

Vu Kim Hanh, chairwoman of the Vietnamese High Quality Goods Club, said its members planned to build a warehouse at Tinh Bien as part of their export strategy to Cambodia.

Room for improvement

Local businesses were offering strong products at competitive prices in Cambodia, but their distribution and promotion networks remain weak, according to a survey conducted in September by the Business Support Assistance (BSA) in association with Vietnamese research firm Truong Doan.

The survey of consumers and retailers in Phnom Penh and Battambong cities showed that high-quality Vietnamese goods were recognized in Cambodia but that Vietnamese products in general were attached to less competitive labeling and promotions than those from Thailand, said Truong Cung Nghia, director of Truong Doan.

Nghia said Vietnamese businesses were strong in stationaries, bicycles and two and four-wheel accessories, footwear and garments, building materials, fertilizers, seeds, home appliances and plastic products.

Consumer and retailer satisfaction with high-quality Vietnamese goods was higher than with those from Thailand and China, said the survey, which added that retailers profited more from trading Vietnamese goods.

But still, Vietnamese businesses lacked the intense promotional campaigns of their Thai counterparts, which offered free products, cost cutting and television commercials.

In need

“We need the support of Vietnamese producers in terms of a distribution strategy,” said Thuyen from Vinamart.

Thuyen said her shopping mall dealt in Vietnamese products and she was finding it difficult to train Cambodian staff as well, due to the language barrier.

Local producers should understand the difficulties and give a hand to traders like her in the new market, she said

Vietnamese product prices were also less competitive than Thai rivals, which enjoyed lower import taxes in Cambodia and had the strategic support of the Thai government, said the BSA.

The firm said the Vietnamese government should increase dialogues on the issue with its Cambodian counterparts to help Vietnamese businesses like the Thais had done.

Reported by Minh Quang

'Kasit Piromya' attends Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Cambodia

BANGKOK, Oct 3 (TNA) – Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his diplomatic counterparts from Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, and Vietnam, are meeting Saturday with newly-appointed Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada in the northwest Cambodian city of Siem Reap to review progress and set the direction for continued cooperation in regional development.

The Second Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is being chaired by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong and is being attended by Mr. Okada along with the foreign ministers of Lao, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.

On the sidelines of the Mekong meeting, Mr. Hor Namhong will also chair the Second Foreign Ministers’ Meeting regarding Emerald Triangle Cooperation between Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

Under the Second Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Japan, which has actively assisted the Mekong region countries, is expected to offer continued commitment to regional development with its vision to create an ‘East Asian Community’.

The meeting is aimed at improving regional infrastructure and human resources, as well as reducing poverty, and will pave the way for a leaders’ summit later this year.

In the afternoon, the foreign ministers of Cambodia, Laos and Thailand will meet under the Emerald Triangle Cooperation umbrella in which they are expected to commit to expanded cooperation in tourism, infrastructure and trade.

The Emerald Triangle Cooperation framework consists of the three neighbouring countries joining together to utilise the combined tourism resources of the sub-region for the mutual benefit of the participating countries. The strengths in the tourism industry of each member country will enhance the combined potential in this sector and promote tourism in the sub-region.

It will also help generate growth and reduce income disparity in the three countries and enhance the well being of people at the grassroots level.

In the afternoon Mr Kasit will hold bilateral talks with the newly-appointed Japanese foreign minister over common interests and plans to develop the Mekong Sub-Region. (TNA)

asianews

Labels

My Blog List

Followers

Blog Archive