Trilateral pact set to kick off Dawei project
The long-delayed Dawei development project will finally be ready to kick off after Japan, Myanmar and Thailand sign a memorandum of intent (MoI) on Saturday during the seventh Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo.
Japan’s interest in the mega-project is part of its aim to have a stronger presence in the Mekong region, comprising Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand, tightening its relationships with those five countries, where China is also playing a bigger role.
The Dawei project is also part of the Southern Economic Corridor and thus fits in with Tokyo’s new strategy for Mekong-Japan cooperation.
"The MoI signing ceremony on the Dawei development project among the three countries will take place on Saturday afternoon after joint remarks to the press," Tetsuji Miyamoto, director of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ First Southeast Asia Division, said at a press briefing yesterday.
The project is to cover about 200 square kilometres, eight times the size of Myanmar’s Thilawa special economic zone. It will establish an SEZ in Dawei in southeastern Myanmar.
A deep seaport, an industrial area, roads, railways, power plants, power grids and other infrastructure will be prepared. Once complete, the development is expected to be of strategic importance for connecting industry in the Mekong region to India and other places.
According to a joint press statement after the Japan-Thailand Summit in February, the procedures for preparation of conditions for investment in a special purpose funding vehicle had started and an expert from the Japan International Cooperation Agency was dispatched.
A preliminary survey concerning road construction and cooperation from relevant organisations was launched.
With a total population of about 240 million and high potential for economic growth, the Mekong region is of strategic importance to Japan in geopolitical, diplomatic and economic aspects.
As this summit, Japan aims to strengthen its relationships with Mekong countries, to implement high-quality infrastructure partnerships, to evaluate its past 70 years of contributions to the region, and to exchange opinions on regional and global situations, including conflicts in the South China Sea, Miyamoto said.
Moreover, he said Japan wanted to send out a message of support for building the Asean Community.
Besides the Dawei project, Thailand will have a chance to hold discussions with Japan on bilateral issues, including cooperation in railway construction, Thailand’s Foreign Minister Thanasak Patimapragorn said earlier in Thailand.
