Thailand announces plans for economic quadrangle with neighbours<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse
\nBangkok<\/p>\n
Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced on
\nWednesday plans to create an economic quadrangle involving
\nCambodia, Laos and Myanmar, after holding talks with his
\nCambodian counterpart Hun Sen.<\/p>\n
The Thai premier said he had proposed the idea to the other
\ncountries' leaders on the sidelines of Tuesday's emergency SARS
\nsummit attended by ASEAN countries and China.<\/p>\n
\"We agreed with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar that we would
\ncreate an economic strategy together to increase income,\" he told
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
\"It is a very good idea. It will not only help this region but
\nwill help narrow the gap between new and old members of ASEAN,\"
\nHun Sen said.<\/p>\n
Thaksin said Thailand could join with the other three
\ncountries in feeding the world with its agricultural production,
\nthereby boosting the region's economy and helping solve other
\nproblems such as illegal workers by expanding employment.<\/p>\n
\"If jobs could be generated in Cambodia, there would not be
\ndifficulties with Thailand when Cambodia laborers come here,\" Hun
\nSen said.<\/p>\n
The four countries' foreign ministers plan to work on the idea
\nat a meeting in the northern city of Chiang Mai in July, ahead of
\na leaders' meeting in Myanmar, for which no date has yet been
\nset.<\/p>\n
The meeting between Thaksin and Hun Sen was their first since
\nanti-Thai riots rocked Phnom Penh in January and led to Thailand
\ndowngrading diplomatic relations with its neighbour.<\/p>\n
Rampaging mobs looted and torched the Thai embassy, causing
\ndamage estimated at US$5.9 million, which Cambodia paid to
\nThailand in March.<\/p>\n
Dozens of Thai businesses were also damaged in attacks, for
\nwhich compensation negotiations are continuing. Thailand's
\ninitial damage estimate was $46.8 million.<\/p>\n
Relations were normalised at an April 11 meeting of the
\ncountries' foreign ministers.<\/p>\n
The two leaders vowed to strengthen their ties further.<\/p>\n
\"The incident was a nightmare, but we have learned to prevent
\nsuch an incident reoccurring,\" Thaksin said. \"Relations are back
\nto normal and we will make them better.\"<\/p>\n
Thaksin also said that a joint cabinet meeting between the two
\ncountries which was postponed in the wake of the riots would go
\nahead on May 31.<\/p>\n
Cambodia will be the third country with which Thailand has
\nheld a joint cabinet meeting, following Singapore and Malaysia,
\nin an initiative by Thaksin aimed at boosting relations with
\nneighbors.<\/p>",
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