Building the road of prosperity together for mutual benefits

The New light of Myanmar
Sunday, 30 November, 2003

Building the road of prosperity together for mutual benefits

(Continued from yesterday)

The visiting Indian Vice-President also detailed the tasks being
carried out in cooperation between the two countries. In the
afternoon, the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and
Industry hosted a luncheon in honour the Vice-President and party. On
4 November, the Vice-President and party left for Bagan-NyaungU. A
joint statement of the two countries was issued the same day. It
stated that the Vice-President of India expressed support for the
national reconsolidation process and progress in the transition to
democracy in Myanmar. Both leaders expressed their determination to
enhance the relations between the two countries and reaffirmed the
target of US$ 1 billion of bilateral trade by 2006. Invitation of the
President of India to Chairman of the State Peace and Development
Council Senior General Than Shwe to pay an official visit to India was
accepted with pleasure by Myanmar. The Vice-President also agreed with
pleasure to convey the invitation of the Chairman of State Peace and
Development Council extended to the President of India Dr APJ Kalam to
pay an official visit to Myanmar, it stated. After visiting
Bagan-NyaungU and Mandalay, the Vice-President and party left for
India on 5 November.

Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt hosted a working dinner in honour of
Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, Laotian Prime Minister Mr
Boungnang Vorachith and Thai Prime Minister Dr Thaksin Shinawatra, who
arrived Yangon to attend the Summit Meeting on Economic Cooperation
Strategy among Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, at the Sedona
Hotel on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road on 10 November. The second senior
officials' meeting and the ministerial meeting of the summit were held
at the hotel the same day. The visiting prime ministers paid a
courtesy call on Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council
Senior General Than Shwe at the Credentials Hall of the Pyithu Hluttaw
Building on 11 November morning. State Peace and Development Council
Chairman Senior General Than Shwe hosted a luncheon in honour of the
visiting prime ministers at the Pyithu Hluttaw Building at 11 am. In
the afternoon, the prime ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and
Thailand left for Bagan-NyaungU.

The Summit Meeting on Economic Cooperation Strategy among Cambodia,
Laos, Myanmar and Thailand was held at Bagan Archaeological Museum in
Bagan Archaeological Zone, Mandalay Division, at 8.30 am on 12
November. 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 Somtid Jatusripitak, ministers, deputy
ministers, and senior officials of the four countries attended the
summit.

At the summit, Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt said he was glad to
host the first Summit Meeting on Economic Cooperation Strategy among
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Bagan, the city of the first
Myanmar empire and the site of Myanmar's cultural heri-tage, was
chosen for the summit. The Bagan Declaration and Plan of Action to be
released after the summit will further strengthen cooperation among
the people of the four countries. Myanmar would benefit from
implementing the economic cooperation strategy, he said. Myanmar
wished to promote cooperation in the tourism and human resources
development sectors, General Khin Nyunt added. The Cambodian prime
minister, the Laotian prime minister, and the Thai prime minister also
took part in the discussions on economic development of the four
countries.

The panel of chairmen of the summit of the four countries issued a
press statement the same day. The Bagan Declaration was also signed
and issued by the four prime ministers. It stated that the four
countries reiterated their aspiration and strong willingness to
establish a strong foundation for common action to live in peace with
one another and in shared prosperity through fostering mutual
understanding, confidence, good neighbourliness among the four
countries; that the leaders were mindful that sustainable economic
development requires a secure political environment; and that they
reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate economic growth, social
programmes and cultural development in the region through joint
endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to
strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of
nations and to the principles enshrined in Bangkok ASEAN Declaration
of 1967 and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. It
stated economic cooperation strategy as follows;
- To increase competitiveness and generate greater growth along the
borders;
- To facilitate relocation of agricultural and manufacturing
industries to areas with comparative advantage;
- To create employment opportunities and reduce income disparity among
the four countries;
- To enhance peace, stability and shared prosperity for all in a
sustainable manner. It also stated the tasks for the success of the
  ECS. The areas of cooperation of ECS are:
- To capitalize the comparative advantage of the countries concerned;
- To facilitate smooth flow of goods and investment for job creation;
- To create income generation and reduce socio-economic disparity;
- To strengthen and enhance cooperation effort in agriculture and
industry;
- To develop and utilize transport linkages among the countries
concerned;
- To facilitate trade, investment, agriculture and industrial
production and tourism;
- To promote a joint strategy for tourism cooperation among the
countries concerned;
- To facilitate tourism among the four countries and from the other
regions;
- To enhance capacity building of peoples and institutions;
- To initiate measures to develop a HRD strategy that is regionally
competitive.

Furthermore, it stated future tasks. Press release of the chairman of
the summit stated that the four leaders agreed to call the agreement
"Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy or ACMECS.

The prime ministers and parties had an opportunity to enjoy the
beauties of Bagan, the Ayeyawady and Myanmar and the Myanmar dances.
They watched the Myanmar traditional boat procession in the Ayeyawady
during the luncheon hosted in their honour by Prime Minister General
Khin Nyunt on 13 November.

During the time, Secretary of Yunnan Province Communist Party of the
People's Republic of China Mr Bai Enpei and party visited Yangon and
paid a courtesy call on Chairman of the State Peace and Development
Council Senior General Than Shwe at the Credentials Hall of Pyithu
Hluttaw Building on 14 November. Vice-Governor Mr Zhong Shan of
Zhejiang Province of the PRC and party called on Prime Minister
General Khin Nyunt at Zeya Thiri Beikman on Konemyinttha the same day.
I would like to put on the record the distinguished guests who, as
good friends and neighbours, visited Myanmar during the first two
weeks of November 2003 and discussed matters related to friendship and
cooperation, thereby building the road of prosperity together for
mutual benefits.

(Concluded)

Author :  Tekkatho Myat Thu   
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