From December 18-21, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung pays his official visits to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand at the invitations of Cambodian Prime Minister Samdec Hunsen, Lao Prime Minister Buasone Bouphavanh and Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.

Mr Dung’s first official visits as Prime Minister to the three countries are not only courtesy visits, according to ASEAN practice but they are aimed at promoting Vietnam’s relations with neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia.

The visits take place at a time when Vietnam’s bilateral cooperative relations with Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, as well as its multilateral cooperation with the ASEAN framework have achieved positive progress. Recently, the three Prime Ministers of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia held their fourth meeting in the central highlands city of Da Lat (Vietnam) to discuss the implementation of the Vietnam-Lao-Cambodia Development Triangle plan.

During the December 18-21 visits to Cambodia and Laos, PM Nguyen Tan Dung will discuss with the two countries’ leaders specific measures to implement the reached agreements.

Thailand and four other ASEAN countries are implementing an early harvest programme on trade relations with China which will reduce tax rates of some products imported from Vietnam and the Philippines, helping accelerating the process of building the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015, five years ahead of schedule as previously planned.

Vietnam’s bilateral relations with Cambodia, Laos and Thailand have made significant progress.

2006 is considered a year for Vietnam and Cambodia to strengthen border demarcation and landmark plantation at seven international border gates. The completion of border demarcation and landmark plantation at the Moc Bai Border Gate in Vietnam’s southern province of Tay Ninh and the Ba Vet Border Gate in Cambodia’s province of Xvay Rieng in September, was a historic event as it created favourable conditions for the development of the Moc Bai Economic Zone and the strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries. With significant achievements, two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia this year is expected to reach US$1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 30 percent.

The visit to Cambodia early this year by former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and the current visit by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung demonstrates that Vietnam attaches much importance to the neighbouring country. In Phnom Penh, PM Dung is scheduled to hold talks with his counterpart Hun Sen to discuss Vietnamese construction companies bidding to build road 78 – an important road in the development triangle and the possibility of attracting Vietnamese and foreign investors to build a hydroelectric power plant on the Se San River in Cambodia.

The traditional and special relations of friendship between Vietnam and Laos have been strengthened and developed to a new height for mutual benefit. Currently, Vietnam has become one of the biggest investors in Laos with 69 projects, capitalised at more than US$500 million. 2006 saw many important events in bilateral relations between Vietnam and Laos: The successful organisation of the 10^th Vietnamese Communist Party Congress and that of 8^th Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Congress to be followed by Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh visit to Laos and Lao President Choummali Sayasone and Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh’s visits to Vietnam.

PM Dung’s visit to Laos this time is an important event. It marks the end of a significant year in cooperative relations between Laos and Vietnam and opens up a new opportunity for implementation of specific cooperation activities. The two Prime Ministers are expected to discuss the construction of Highway 18B and hydro-electric power plants Sekaman No1 and No 3 and rubber plantation in Laos as well as Vietnam’s purchase of electricity from Laos and joint cooperation with Laos in mineral exploitation.

Of special note, the two PM will discuss preparations for the 45^th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties and the 30^th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation in  2007.

Prime Minister Dung’s visit to Thailand from December 20-21 is made in return to Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanot’s visit to Vietnam last October. It is not simply a protocol visit as Vietnam-Thailand relations, particularly in trade has been considered the most effective bilateral relations in Southeast Asia. Two-way trade turnover reached US$3.2 billion last year and is expected to be higher this year thanks to preferential treatments from Thailand.

During the visit, PM Nguyen Tan Dung will be invited to attend the inauguration of a friendship bridge linking Laos’ Savanakhet province and Thailand’s Mudahan province. The bridge is important not only to Lao and Thai people but also to trade activities in the East-West corridor, particularly the sea route from northern Thailand to central Laos and to central Vietnam.

PM Dung’s visits to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand are of great significance to the relations between Vietnam and the three countries in particular and among Southeast Asian region as a whole. The visits will open up new opportunities for these countries to boost multi-faceted cooperation for the benefit of each country and the whole region as well.