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.