Thai PM to attend 4th ACMECS summit in Phnom Penh

BANGKOK, Nov 16 - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will participate Wednesday in the 4th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh to follow up cooperation frameworks among member countries.

The Thai premier will also meet bilaterally with his Cambodian and Lao counterparts on this occasion.

At the ACMECS Summit, the leaders of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand will review the progress of past cooperation and discuss the direction for their future cooperation.

The Thai prime minister said the ACMECS cooperation is currently linked more with other cooperation frameworks such as the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), which includes China (Yunnan), and GMS+Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Mr Abhisit added Thailand acts as an aid provider for projects under ACMECS and is playing a role in developing several aspects among the member countries; for instance, on agriculture. Also high on the agenda are contract farming and a push for cooperation regarding rice, exports in particular.

According to Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the five countries will adopt the Phnom Penh Declaration on a shared Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy, which addresses cooperation on partnership for development, and the ACMECS Plan of Action 2010-2012, which expresses their political intention, visions, and guideline for cooperation among ACMECS countries in eight areas, which are trade and investment facilitation, agriculture, transportation, human resources development, industry and energy, tourism, public health, and environment.

The ACMECS leaders will also meet with the ACMECS Business Forum.

"Thailand stands firm to support and cooperate with its neighbouring countries on infrastructure, agriculture, education and human development. This will help the five countries to have common grounds when negotiating with other cooperation frameworks," Mr Abhisit said.

The Thai premier will have a bilateral meeting with his Lao counterpart Bouasone Bouphavanh to discuss various issues regarding Mr Abhisit's planned visit to the Lao PDR next month, including power buying, energy and dam construction, as well as infrastructure on a train project, on which Thailand assisted Laos after China had agreed to help both the Lao PDR and Thailand.

Also taking place is the 4th bilateral meeting between the Thai prime minister and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen will for good relations and in order to solve conflicts of the two nations. Both leaders will attend the signing ceremony of the Agreement on Visa Exemption for Holders of Ordinary Passports between the Thai and the Cambodian kingdoms, to be signed by both nations' foreign ministers. (MCOT online news)