SE Asian states eye 'development triangle'

SE Asian states eye 'development triangle'

HANOI (Reuters): Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos have discussed the idea of creating a "development triangle" that would allow the sharing of economic and natural resources, official media reported on Thursday.

The Vietnam News daily said this could involve the three countries sharing electricity, transport, labor resources and involve joint management of rare flora and fauna along their shared borders.

The "development triangle" notion was raised at a meeting in the Laotian capital Vientiane on Wednesday between Vietnam Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and their Laotian counterpart, Sisavat Keobounphan, it said.

Cambodian officials, however, have said the three countries had no intention of setting up a regional bloc. All three were French colonies until the 1950s and pro-Soviet allies during the 1980s.

The Vietnam News said joints efforts to curb drug trafficking and smuggling and improve the sharing of water resources were also discussed at the meeting.

Vietnamese media have not said how long Khai would stay in Laos, but Cambodian officials have said the talks might last most of the week and mark the first in annual informal meetings between leaders of the three countries.

Numerous senior officials and ministers accompanied Khai and Hun Sen to Vientiane.

Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are members of the Association of South East Asian Nations, which also includes Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.