Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy

The New light of Myanmar
Friday, 28 November, 2003

Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy

The Summit Meeting on Economic Cooperation Strategy among Cambodia,
Laos, Myanmar and Thailand successfully concluded recently. Myanmar
hosted the summit. Prime Ministers, a deputy prime minister,
ministers, deputy ministers and senior officials of the four countries
attended the meeting.

It was Prime Minister of Thailand Dr Thaksin Shinawatra who proposed,
during the ASEAN Summit on SARS held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 29 April
2003, to hold the summit of the four countries.

Senior officials' meeting concerning the matters to be discussed at
the summit of the four countries was held in Vientiane, Laos, on
15-7-2003 and the ministerial meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, on
1-8-2003.

Before the summit, the second senior officials' meeting and the
ministerial meeting were separately held at the Sedona Hotel in Yangon
on 10 November 2003 morning and afternoon. The summit was held at the
Bagan Archaeological Museum in Bagan Archaeological Zone, Mandalay
Division, on 11 and 12 November 2003.

It is the first summit meeting on economic cooperation strategy among
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. It can be said that holding of
the summit at the capital of the first Myanmar empire as well as a
site of historical heritage is a milestone in history.

Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar General Khin Nyunt, Cambodian
Prime Minister Mr Samdech Hun Sen, Laotian Prime Minister Mr Boungnang
Vorachith, Thai Prime Minister Dr Thaksin Shinawatra, Secretary-1
Lt-Gen Soe Win and Secretary-2 Lt-Gen Thein Sein of the State Peace
and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar, Deputy Prime Minister
of Thailand Dr Somkid Jatusripitak , ministers, deputy ministers, and
senior officials of the four countries attended the summit.

I would like to underscore the discussions of the prime ministers.

Chairman of the summit Prime Minister of the host General Khin Nyunt
expressed his appreciation of the proposal of the Prime Minister of
Thailand to hold the summit and thanked the prime ministers of Laos
and Cambodia who supported the proposal. It was the ripe time to
implement the economic cooperation and was also in accord with the
development of the region, ASEAN Vision 2002 and Bali Declaration,
General Khin Nyunt said.

He asserted that Myanmar would implement the objectives and goals of
economic cooperation strategy and Myanmar proposed that Mandalay and
Luang Prabang, Yangon and Bangkok, Mandalay and Chiang Mai, Myawady
and Maesot, and Tachilek and Maesai be designated as Sister Cities.
Myanmar would establish an industrial zone in Myawady and export
products and promote trade and investment. Myanmar supported the
establishment of industrial zones in border regions and it would carry
out the tasks for gaining trade and investment opportunities. He said
Myanmar wished to undertake cooperation in hydro electric power
generation, tourism and human resources development sector.

Thai Prime Minister Dr Thaksin Shinawatra said that Thailand supported
the future programmes proposed at the summit and held frank
discussions on trade, investment, loan and assistance, promotion of
tourism industry, and sources of income.

Cambodian Prime Minister Mr Samdech Hun Sen said he would like to
thank Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior
General Than Shwe and Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt for their
generous hospitality. It was a historic agreement to designate Bagan
and Siem Reap as Sister Cities. He also thanked the Prime Minister of
Thailand who proposed to hold the summit. The four countries, all
Buddhist countries, have the same new year days. Participation of the
private sector is an important factor in economic cooperation, he
pointed out. Cambodia supported the designation of Sister Cities and
was fully committed to the programmes for designation of sister cities
and cooperation in the tourism industry. There were financial problems
in implementation of economic cooperation and loans should be granted
for them. He also supported the holding of summits and meetings on
economic cooperation among the four countries. He also supported the
introduction of a single visa for the four countries proposed by Dr
Thaksin.

The Laotian Prime Minister said he would like to thank Chairman of
State Peace and Development Council Senior General Than Shwe and Prime
Minister General Khin Nyunt for the proper arrangements for the
summits. Myanmar made the best arrangements for holding the summit of
the four Buddhist countries in Bagan, he said. He said Laos wished to
build roads along the borders sharing with neighbours and seek ways
and means to construct roads there. He pointed out the need to
cooperate in narcotic drug elimination tasks as proposed by the Prime
Minister of Thailand and stressed the need to promote the market for
products of Laos. He said, being a land-locked country, Laos had to
export its products through a third country. He said taxes levied by
Thailand on Laos products exported through the country were high and
proposed to lower them. Laos and Thailand would sign an agreement for
generation of electric power, he disclosed. He expressed his thanks to
the Prime Minister of Thailand for the promgramme for the prosperity
of neighbouring countries.

The discussions of the Prime Ministers were frank. They were anxious
to implement the economic cooperation programmes. It indicated the
certainty of success of the programmes.

Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt explained matters related to the
Bagan Declaration drafted at the second Senior Officials' Meeting and
Ministerial Meeting and future tasks. All the Prime Ministers
unanimously approved the declaration at the summit on 12 November in
Bagan.

Bagan Declaration dated 12 November was issued at the end of the
summit.

It stated objectives of economic cooperation strategy and
implementation tasks of the strategy.

Besides, it expressed facilitation of trade and investment,
agricultural and industrial cooperation, transport linkages, tourism
cooperation and human resources development.

The four prime ministers unanimously agreed to task the Ministers to
implement the Plan of Action and common and bilateral projects,
encourage the private sector to fully participate in the
implementation of the economic cooperation process, promote investment
in border regions, make arrangements for lowest interest loans and
assistance, convene Summit Meeting of the Heads of Government
biennially, and Meetings for the Ministers and the Senior Officials
annually for the success of the economic cooperation strategy, and
call the agreement Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation
Strategy or ACMECS.

At the end of the summit, Chairman of the summit Prime Minister
General Khin Nyunt issued a press statement. The statement contains 14
points and described the summit fruitful as the leaders of the four
countries had held frank discussions based on friendship.

Besides the Bagan Declaration, six bilateral agreements were signed at
the summit. The agreements related to Myanmar are Production Sharing
Contracts for the Exploration and Production of Petroleum to be
implemented in blocks M 7 and M 9 in Mottama offshore area and MoU on
the Development of Industrial Estates/Special Economic Zones in
Myanmar.

In conclusion, the Summit Meeting on Economic Cooperation Strategy
among Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand hosted by Myanmar concluded
successfully in the ancient capital of Myanmar, Bagan. Success of the
summit is sure to increase by implementing the economic cooperation
strategy among the four countries.

Author :  Hla Tun (Twantay)  
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