LookAtVietnam – Viet Nam wanted to boost a multifaceted relationship with Thailand, including co-operation on the development of the Mekong River Basin.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (right) receives Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

They also said the four nations would implement agreements, including on water flow and quality regulations.

The prime ministers agreed to encourage Myanmar and China to take a role in the Mekong Committee.

Abhisit said countries needed to foster information exchange and propose measures to tackle problems related to the river.

They agreed the two countries would continue to push co-operation in trade and investment and to connect the east-west corridor from Mukdahan, Thailand, to Viet Nam for the smooth flow of goods.

On the same day, Dung also met with Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh.

The two expressed their pleasure at the development of the bilateral ties in the recent years, and agreed to raise trade turnover to US$1 billion this year.

An assessment of the co-operation programme between Viet Nam and Laos from 2006 to this year and the establishment of the new co-operation plan until 2015 would be carried out.

The two leaders agreed that co-operation among countries of the Mekong Committee was for the mutual benefit of all peoples in the region.

Dung also met with World Bank Vice President for East Asia and Pacific Region James Adams on the same day.

Adams affirmed that the bank would support Viet Nam to tackle climate change and carry out research on the impacts of rising sea levels.

He said he highly valued Viet Nam’s development achievements, as well as its efforts in launching World Bank-funded projects, which had brought about positive changes to the country’s socio-economic development.

The World Bank had approved a loan of $500 million to support Viet Nam in launching a project on public investment reform, Adams said. The bank would continue help the country in stabilising macro economy, balancing economic growth and curbing inflation.

Offshore

Viet Nam will create more favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to invest in offshores locations, including in Myanmar, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said at an investment promotion conference in Yangon last Saturday.

On a three-day visit to Myanmar, Dung expressed his hope that Myanmar would also adopt measures to facilitate Vietnamese investors and pledged that the Government would negotiate to solve any policy-based hindrances to investment between the two countries in a spirit of friendship, co-operation and mutual benefit.

Bilateral relations had seen fruitful development in politics, diplomacy and culture as well as in trade, tourism and investment, with practical benefits to both sides, Dung said.

The two nations had signed and put into effect numerous documents on bilateral co-operation and had set up necessary mechanisms for co-ordination and development of ties, he added.

Despite many objective difficulties in connecting the two economies, bilateral trade has increased steadily, reaching US$108 million in 2008, Dung said. The signing of numerous contracts and the opening of a direct air route between the two countries were optimistic signs for greater development of tourism, trade and investment relations in the future.

Myanmar trade minister Tyn Naing Thein told the conference that Myanmar was ready to support investment projects and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to invest in the country, particularly in the financial and banking sectors, telecommunications, mining, and agriculture and fisheries.

After the conference, Dung witnessed the granting of a Vietnamese investment licences to projects in Myanmar and the launch of the Association of Vietnamese Investors in Myanmar.

He also attended the opening ceremony of a Vietnamese products fair and the Myanmar representative office of the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV).

Welcome

Also on Saturday, Dung met with Senior General Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of Myanmar, in the Myanmar capital of Nay Pyi Taw.

Dung thanked the government and people of Myanmar for their warm welcome and hospitability to his delegation.

He said he hoped Myanmar would successfully fulfill its roadmap towards democracy for the sake of its people and for the peace, stability, co-operation and development of the region.

Viet Nam always attached importance to and wished to develop its time-honoured friendship and multifaceted co-operation with Myanmar, Dung said, adding that the current visit was expected to improve bilateral co-operation in trade and investment.

Than Shwe warmly welcomed Dung, praising Viet Nam for its achievements in renewal.

Last Friday, the leaders of both sides inked a joint statement on Viet Nam-Myanmar co-operation, agreeing to fully tap available potentials for further expansion of multifaceted cooperation.

They agreed on specific measures to boost bilateral co-operation in agriculture, banking and finance, aviation, telecommunications, oil and gas exploitation, mining, electronics and automobile production and construction.

In agriculture, the two countries agreed to focus on implementing the memorandum of understanding between Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Myanmar’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, intensifying efforts to create higher-quality varieties of rice, corn, coffee and tea and promote investment in the field.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News