On 14 January 2010, during the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Danang, Vietnam, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya held bilateral meetings with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem and Lao PDR Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith to discuss bilateral cooperation.
In the bilateral with his Vietnamese counterpart, Foreign Minister Kasit congratulated Vietnam for assuming the ASEAN Chairmanship as well as for the successful convening of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat. On the issue of connectivity, a main issue discussed during the Retreat, both Foreign Ministers agreed that there should be closer cooperation on both hardware and software issues by, among other things, making more use of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) or Route 9 to promote closer trade and tourism linkages between Thailand, Laos PDR and Vietnam. In this regard, cooperation in the area of deep sea fishing could be pursued so that fish caught in the Pacific Ocean could be offloaded and processed in Vietnam before being exported to consumers in the Laos PDR and Northeastern Thailand. In addition, cooperation on a more extensive power grid in the region should be promoted so that electricity generated in the Laos PDR could be exported to other countries. To promote closer people-to-people linkages, the two Foreign Ministers also discussed the possibility of initiating a regular passenger bus service between Mukdaharn in Thailand and Danang in Vietnam, travelling through the Laos PDR. Foreign Minister Kasit also congratulated Vietnam which will be celebrating Hanoi’s millennium throughout 2010. In this connection, the Royal Thai Embassy in Hanoi will organise a Thai Week Festival in May 2010 which will encompass art, cultural and trade exhibits to commemorate the event.
As for the meeting with his Laotian counterpart, Foreign Minister Kasit congratulated the Lao PDR for successfully hosting the 25th Southeast Asian Games in December 2009, for which the Laotian side thanked Thailand for its support. The two Foreign Minister also expressed satisfaction with the orderly and safe return of over 4,000 Laotian Hmongs to the Lao PDR in December 2009. On this issue, the Lao PDR Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister thanked Thailand and noted that a U.S. congressman had recently visited a group of returnees and had expressed confidence in the handling of the situation by the Lao PDR Government. Both Foreign Ministers also prioritised the issue of connectivity, especially the initiatives to promote a more comprehensive power grid in the region and the role that the EWEC could play in promoting the economic development of local communities. In this regard, it was agreed that more petrol stations, rest areas and other amenities should also be constructed along the route to promote more usage, especially by tourists.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th