Laos, Thailand to resume trade, border talks

The 17th meeting of the Laotian-Thai joint commission on bilateral cooperation ended yesterday in Vientiane, where Bangkok also reaffirmed its commitment to purchase 7,000 megawatts of electricity produced by various projects in Laos.
The two-day meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul and his Laotian counterpart Dr Thongloun Sisoulith, who is also deputy prime minister.
Surapong told a news conference shortly after the meeting that Thailand supported Laos’ efforts to transform itself from a landlocked country into a “land-linked” one.
“We have agreed to expand road links between Laos and Thailand through the fourth and fifth Friendship Bridges,” he said.
The construction of the Fourth Mekong Friendship Bridge linking Chiang Rai province in Thailand with Bokeo province in Laos is in progress and it is expected to open in 2014.
The two sides have also agreed to
 build the Fifth Friendship Bridge to link Bueng Kan province in Thailand and Borikhamxay province of Laos in the near future, Thongloun said,
The first three Mekong Friendship Bridges have boosted trade and investment growth between the two neighbours, meaning Thailand has become Laos’ biggest trading partner.
Bilateral trade value reached almost US$4 billion (Bt123 billion) last year, up by 35.83 per cent compared with 2010.
The two governments agreed last month to double bilateral trade value to $8 billion by 2015, to be stimulated by addressing barriers to trade and investment, particularly at border checkpoints and in immigration policies, to create conditions for trading.
To enable Laos’ “land-linked” efforts, the meeting discussed the upgrade of four temporary border checkpoints into permanent ones to ease cross-border trade. Two of these checkpoints are in Xayaboury province, one in Khammuan province and another in the Golden Triangle area.
Thailand is the biggest foreign investor in Laos. Data show that from 2000 to 2011, the country invested $4.295 billion in 437 projects. However, throughout the past few years Thai investment has ranked third after China and Vietnam on a yearly average.
The two ministers agreed that the meeting achieved sound outcomes, saying both sides would put joint effort into encouraging more Thai investors to do business in Laos.
The two sides rescheduled plans to complete land-border demarcation by 2014 after failing to meet a previous deadline slated for 2008. Meanwhile, water-territory demarcation is set to be completed by 2016 after failing to be finished by 2010.
To pursue the targets, the two sides agreed to resume talks of the Joint Border Commission next month in Thailand after a five-year hiatus.
The two ministers also responded to a Thai reporter who asked about a border dispute in three Thai villages and Rom Khao village in Xayaboury province.
Both sides will form a joint commission to study measures to address the issue, Surapong said.
Thongloun said both sides would accelerate efforts to settle the issue, adding that they needed to work together to reach consensus regarding borders.

WORKERS’ RIGHTS
Thailand committed to working with the Laotian side to legalise undocumented Laotian workers in the Kingdom to protect their rights.
The meeting also touched on how to tackle the problem of cross-border haze.
In addition, Thailand agreed to provide more master’s degree and doctoral scholarships for Laotian nationals to study in the Kingdom.
Surapong took the opportunity to pay an official visit to Laos to present himself after taking the position of foreign minister last August.
Before the joint commission meeting, he met for bilateral talks with Thongloun at the Laotian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where both sides said they highly valued the friendly relations between the two neighbours.
Leaders of both sides maintain close contact and regularly undertake exchange visits. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand paid a state visit to Laos in the middle of this month, while Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra paid an official visit last September.
During his visit, Surapong also paid courtesy calls on Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and National Assembly President Pany Yathortou.
The Thai side handed over Bt2 million to support Laos’ Friendship School project and presented 30 electric fans to Phaylom Secondary School.