Ministers kick off ACMECS meeting in Laos

The mistrial meeting was held prior to the 5th summit of ACMECS leaders due on Wednesday.
They considered a new action plan for 2013-2015 to implement a number of development projects to facilitate trade, investment and tourism across border, notably along the East-West, North-South and Southern Economic corridors.
Thai delegation led by Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul pushed ahead rice trade cooperation in order to avoid fierce competition among neighboring countries which are major rice production base in Southeast Asia.
The ministers also discussed connectivity within the region to find out missing link and bottle neck at border which obstruct free flow of movement of goods and people, according to Thai Foreign Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow.
“Every country is talking about software in order to facilitate trade, investment and tourism effectively,” he said.
Laos and Vietnam successfully launched ‘one-stop service’ for custom and immigration clearance at border checkpoints of Dan Savan-Lao Bao years ago and proposed others countries to follow the model, according to a press statement issued after senior official meeting on Monday.
Thailand made efforts to develop ‘contract farming’ scheme in the region to improve trade and production of agriculture. To achieve the objective, Thailand and Laos will bilaterally sign a memorandum of understanding on the contract farming scheme on Wednesday.
Contract farming is an agricultural scheme which buyers and farmers agree upon conditions of productions and marketing of certain farm products.
Thai private sectors invested and involved in the scheme in Laos for more than a decade. Basically, Thailand agrees to buy farm products from Laos with tariff incentive. There would be some difficulties sometime as Thailand has oversupply of some particular items such as maize and soybean in domestic market.
The MOU, to be signed by foreign ministers of the two countries, would help provide consultation forum to solve the problem, Sihasak said.
“Under the MOU, Thailand would inform and consult with Laos if we need to issue any measures on agricultural products that might affect trade and production in Laos,” he said.
The foreign ministers of the ACMECS countries also discussed tourism cooperation to link regional attractive destinations notably among ancient capital cities such as Pagan, Luang Prabang, Seam Reap, Hue.
Thailand and Cambodia have already launched a single visa scheme to facilitate tourism and wanted to persuade other countries to join.