Mr. Chairman,
Dear Colleagues,
Allow me, Mr. Chairman, to join previous speakers in expressing my sincere gratitude to you and the Government of Vietnam for hosting the ACMECS Ministerial Meeting and the Third ACMECS Summit. Let me also use this opportunity to express my sincere condolences to the Government and the people of Vietnam for the loss of life and property resulting from the current flooding in Hanoi.
Since the Second Summit in Thailand two years ago, key ACMECS projects have progressed steadily, bringing us closer to the goals laid out at the Bagan Summit five years ago. Though we may be satisfied with the economic growth in our sub-region, but given the current international economic environment, it is important for us to work even harder to strengthen our cooperation. We need to prioritise our various endeavours in order to maximise benefits while minimising expenses.
Let me therefore commend the Chairperson of the Senior Officials’ Meeting for his comprehensive report, which serves as an excellent basis for our deliberations. Here, I wish to share with you my views on a number of issues as follows:
Let me start with cooperation in trade and investment facilitation, for which Thailand is the lead coordinating country. This is important if we are to reduce poverty in and create prosperity, as well as well-being, to our sub-region. Against the current global financial crisis, I would like to encourage more intra-trade and investment among our ACMECS countries, so that our sub-region can become more self-reliant.
At the ACMECS Ministerial Meeting in Mandalay last year, Thailand proposed the establishment of more one-stop-service centres along the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) along border areas. We also encouraged the setting up of Single Stop Inspection points, as well as a Logistics Support Services and Freight Operators Cooperation Network, at major border areas.
In the area of agricultural cooperation, the issue of Contract Farming has received greatest attention from our business sector since it allows us to use our complementary strengths more effectively and to help narrow the development gap in the sub-region. While the draft MOUs on Contract Farming have yet to be finalised, Thailand would like to propose that interim dialogues with other ACMECS members be organised without delay so as to enable our authorities concerned to discuss annual plans, impediments, and solutions to any problems raised. I fully support the proposal of Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun for our two countries to cooperate in disseminating information on contract farming.
In the human resource development sector, Thailand will continue to provide further training programmes and scholarships to both the public and private sectors. We welcome ACMECS project proposals on HRD and will consider including them in the HRD programmes under the ACMECS Plan of Action.
In the field of industrial and energy cooperation, with the increasing economic activities of the mining industry, Thailand would also like to suggest that mining cooperation be incorporated under this sector.
As for cooperation in transport linkages, Thailand is keen to promote cross-border linkages among ACMECS member countries, especially the “missing link” projects to complement the transportation networks under the GMS framework. Here, let me confirm once again that the Thai Government will provide a 1,800 million baht grant for the construction of the third Thai-Lao bridge across the Mekong between Nakorn Phanom and Kam Muan.
On public health, we have since 2006 developed close cooperation and taken action in accordance with the ACMECS Health Sector’s Plan for Combating Avian Influenza and other Infectious Diseases. Since last year, we have provided personal protective equipment and medical supplies to all ACMECS member countries, as well as organised training workshops.
Further to all these sectors, Thailand would also like to emphasise cooperation with Development Partners. We believe that closer cooperation is needed above and beyond the draft Guidelines for Development Partners’ Participation in ACMECS Projects agreed upon at the ACMECS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Mandalay last year.
A good example of such cooperation is the Mekong-Japan Cooperation, which had its first SOM and Ministerial Meetings early this year. Given that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand is responsible for both ACMECS and Mekong-Japan cooperation frameworks, Thailand proposes that the Mekong-Japan SOM and Ministerial Meetings be convened back-to-back with ACMECS Meetings, so as to minimise the budget burden on all participants.
On the proposal made by Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong to instruct the ACMECS SOM to meet, to consider priority projects for discussions with Japan, I join my Vietnamese colleague in supporting the proposal.
As I conclude, I wish to thank Vietnam for the excellent work in preparing the draft declarations. I also commend our Senior Officials for their effort in finalising these documents for our consideration and approval before submitting to our Leaders for final adoption tomorrow.
Thank you.
Prime Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Division, Department of Information Tel.(02) 643-5170
Fax. (02) 643-5169 E-mail : div0704@mfa.go.th End.