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Economic ties with Laos, Thailand and Japan furthered

Date: November 26, 2001

Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien has expressed his thanks to the Japanese government and people for their assistance to infrastructure projects in central Vietnam, particularly the Hai Van tunnel and the upgrade of central Da Nang port.

Foreign Minister Nien was speaking at a ministerial meeting between Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Japan, held in Mudakhan town of Thailand from November 21-23.

Foreign Minister Nien emphasised the importance of the development of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) from Thailand to Vietnam via Laos - a poor and under-developed region rich in untapped natural resources.

He noted that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and the international community have paid attention to the development of the Mekong sub-region in general and the EWEC in particular in the spirit of the Hanoi Declaration on narrowing the development gap.

Mr Nien also expressed his hope that the Japanese government would continue sponsoring the Hai Van tunnel project.

Development of the East-West Economic Corridor from the northeastern region of Thailand to Vietnam's central region via Laos' central and lower areas will benefit the poorest parts of these countries.

Therefore, there is a need for long-term co-operation in infrastructure construction, and the development of commercial and tourism services.

Recognising that transport infrastructure is as a condition for the expansion of co-operation in other fields, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand have accelerated building and upgrading roads, bridges and seaports. The goal is to form a transport and communications corridor serving the economic and trade development activities of surrounding areas. This work has received financial assistance mainly from Japan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Participants in the meeting decided that experts from Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Japan will meet annually with representatives of Da Nang city, Mudakhan and Savannakhet provinces, areas where the East-West Corridor lies, to speed up concerned projects.

By 2005, the transport infrastructure in the East-West Corridor will be completed. Vietnam, Laos and Thailand have signed and are implementing a programme aimed at facilitating the transport of commodities and people across their borders.

Earlier, on November 22, four participating head delegates of the EWEC ministerial meeting - Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien of Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Somsavath Lengsavad of Laos, Foreign Minister Surakiar Sathirathai of Thailand, and Deputy Foreign Minister Yamaguchi Taimei of Japan - toured central coastal Da Nang city and the old town of Hoi An in central Quang Nam province.

On the evening of the same day, Foreign Minister Nien held talks with the Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister in central coastal Da Nang city.

They examined measures to further promote economic co-operation between Vietnam and Japan and discussed other issues relating to official development assistance, the upcoming donors' conference, and the Hai Van tunnel project. (VNA)

(Source: Vietnam News)

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