ACMECS summit starts in Vietnam

HANOI, Nov 7 (TNA) - Thailand's Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Friday participated in the official opening of the third Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) summit, held in the Vietnamese capital.

The summit is being attended by the five greater Mekong sub-region member countries, including Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.

Thailand plans to propose the issue of capability in food production and agriculture and to grant 100 scholarships to country members for further studies in the kingdom.

Mr. Somchai said he believed that cooperation among the country members will bring about achievement of agreement and benefits to all.

Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat said that at the ACMECS meeting will adopt a declaration on the facilitation and promotion of trade, investment and tourism. Thailand and Vietnam will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding to develop vocational training between the two countries, he said.

In addition, Thailand will push for transportation links, development of tourism, human resources, and cooperation in public health activities, he added.

Under the ACMECS cooperation framework, the private sector will participate in trade and investment and "One Stop Service" centers will be set up to facilitate border trade.

During unofficial talks between the leaders of the five countries on Thursday, they discussed their potential to be the producers of over half of the world's total rice production. Such cooperation could lead to cooperatively pricing rice and sharing technology to increase productivity. (TNA)