As new Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung’s visits to three of Vietnam’s neighouring countries have already gone beyond the sphere of courtesy visits according to ASEAN practice. They have clearly helped promote Vietnam’s relations of comprehensive cooperation, particularly in economics, trade and investment, with Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his entourage have successfully concluded their official visits to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
Of great significance during Mr Dung’s engagements was the presence of the PMs of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand at the inauguration of Friendship II Bridge spanning the Mekong River which links Thailand and Laos.
The Bridge has opened the East-West Economic Corridor, linking Thailand’s north-eastern provinces and Laos’s central region with Vietnam’s central provinces, adding fresh impetus to tourism and trade activities in the economic corridor.
For instance, Thailand’s 19 north-eastern provinces
will have greater opportunities to export key agricultural products through the Da Nang seaport more easily and rapidly.
Immediately after the inauguration ceremony, a caravan of hundreds of touring cars from Thailand went through Huu Nghi II Bridge for the first time to visit cultural heritage sites in central Laos. They then passed through central Quang Tri province’s Lao Bao border gate to visit Hue, Da Nang and the ancient town of Hoi An. The caravan returned to Laos via Kon Tum province’s Bo Y border gate.
During their talks, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh and Thai Prime Minister
Surayud Chulanont affirmed determination to promote closer cooperation in all areas and accelerate the implementation of projects in the East-West corridor for the sake of the development and prosperity of each country.
During his visits to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, PM Dung was given a warm welcome by each country’s leaders and people.
At the welcoming and farewell ceremonies for the leader of Vietnam’s government, apart from Cambodian PM Samdec Hun Sen and other government officials, thousands of Phnom Penh residents held flags and flowers to the Vietnamese PM. At the Thai Royal Air Force Airport, a salvo of 19 cannon shots was fired to welcome PM Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to Thailand.
In meetings and talks, senior leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and PM Dung expressed their delight at the friendship and cooperation between these countries. They also affirmed their determination in developing relations for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region and the world.
A series of cooperation agreements have been signed between Vietnam and other countries. Vietnam and Cambodia have strived to increase two-way trade to US$2 billion by 2010, and further boost cooperation in agriculture, hydroelectricity, transportation, mineral exploitation, petroleum, rubber plantation and tourism. The third meeting of cooperation development among border provinces will he held in Long Xuyen city, An Giang province.
During his stay in Laos, PM Dung and his counterpart Bouasone Bouphavanh have witnessed the signing ceremony of agreement on energy cooperation between the two governments, an agreement signed by the Vietnamese Ministry of Trade and Lao Ministry of Trade regarding 50 items with preferential import-export tax rates. The enterprises of the two countries have also signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the construction of hydro-electric power plants Sekaman No 0 and No 4 with total capacity of 100 MW and agreement on mineral exploration and exploitation, especially a project to plant 10,000 hectares of rubber in Laos.
PM Dung and his Thai counterpart Surayud Chulanont also devised measures to boost cooperation in economics, trade and investment between Vietnam and Thailand at a talk held in Bangkok on December 20. Accordingly, the governments of the two countries encouraged enterprises to promote trade and investment, targeting US$5 billion in two-way trade in several years to come, and to further strengthen cooperation in investment, diseases prevention, transportation, tourism and natural calamities prevention. The two PMs witnessed the signing of a joint statement of the Vietnamese and Thai Governments on the two countries' viewpoints on security and another joint statement on Vietnam-Thailand strategy for economic partnership.
During the visits, PM Dung and senior leaders of Cambodia, Laos and Thailand have also agreed on regional and international issues of common concern in the spirit of mutual assistance and in the interests of prosperity and development. The PMs of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia also reaffirmed their determination in building a development triangle area.
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