ASEAN PMs vow to develop border areas

ASEAN PMs vow to develop border areas

Agence France-Presse, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam on Wednesday agreed to work toward
accelerating economic growth in their border regions to boost low
standards of living, Cambodia's foreign minister Hor Namhong
said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen hosted a one-day informal meeting
focusing on the region for his Lao and Vietnamese counterparts
Bounnhang Vorachith and Phan Van Khai, their third round of talks
since 1999.

"The biggest issue we have is developing the social economy in
the triangle area in order to promote the standard of living of
poor Cambodians, Vietnamese and Lao people," Hor Namhong told
reporters after the meeting.

He said the leaders agreed to continue working on a master
plan to develop the area, initiated by Hun Sen at the leaders'
first meet in Vientiane in 1999 and followed up at talks two
years ago.

"This master plan will be discussed in great detail by experts
in September in order to produce concrete projects and the prime
ministers will then approve it," he said, adding that funding
would be sought from Japan for the projects.

Japan is already aid-dependent Cambodia's largest donor.

In a joint statement, the leaders said priority would be given
to upgrading transport networks, promoting trade and tourism,
developing human resources and health care, and connecting
electricity grids between the three countries.

They also discussed cooperating to combat transnational crime
and terrorism to ensure the security in the border areas, they
said.

The visiting leaders spent Tuesday touring the ancient temple
complex of Angkor Wat, Cambodia's main tourism drawcard.

The next meeting will be held in Laos next year.