Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos unveil economic roadmap

The leaders of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos on Wednesday announced a new economic roadmap aimed at accelerating growth and lifting the region's people out of poverty.

At a one-day summit in Myanmar's ancient former capital they signed the Bagan declaration which committed them to boost trade and investment, improve agricultural and industrial cooperation and promote tourism and job creation.

The four leaders said the Economic Cooperation Strategy (ECS) initiative will "act as a catalyst to promote regional cooperation".

They pledged to work together "to fully harness their enormous economic potential to promote spontaneous and sustainable economic development, and to uplift the welfare and quality of life of our citizens".

The agreement was signed by Myanmar's Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt and his counterparts from Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, Cambodia's Hun Sen and Boungnang Vorachit from Laos.

Despite frequent rows and prickly relationships between some of the nations, they said they aim to boost prosperity through "enhanced solidarity, mutual respect, close friendship, good neighbourliness and active cooperation".

The ECS is an initiative of Thailand's Thaksin, who said on the weekend that the kingdom would benefit from bridging the economic divide with its poorer neighbours.

"It would be more practical if we help them by creating jobs and encouraging them to solve their internal problems," he said. "Brush them off and we'll suffer. Drugs, illegal migrants and crime are really big problems."

The Nation newspaper quoted him as saying during a visit to Yangon which preceded the summit that the combined economic output of the three neighbouring countries was less than 10 per cent of Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP).

Thaksin has said he would use the talks to press Myanmar's ruling generals to speed up the resettlement of thousands of migrants returning home from Thailand, where they fled to escape political repression and grinding poverty.

About a million Myanmar nationals are thought to be working in Thailand, about half of them illegally, providing a perennial irritant to the troubled bilateral relationship.

However, Thaksin has signalled the issue of detained Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will not be on the agenda of the summit, despite intense international pressure for the junta to release her from house arrest.

Analysts said the engagement with Myanmar reflected Southeast Asian nation's policy of encouraging reforms in the military-run state by making economic links, instead of the punitive sanctions pursued by Western nations.

"They are saying that it is through development in the economic and commercial fields that cooperation will eventually end up spreading to other domains," said one Yangon-based diplomat.

He said Thailand was meanwhile positioning itself as a regional economic power, led by Thaksin who was hailed as the region's new spokesman after hosting last month's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.

"Thailand has understood that it was time to cooperate with its disadvantaged neighbours to address the issues of illegal labor and drugs."

At the summit Thailand also signed four energy deals, two with Myanmar and one each with Laos and Cambodia.

Thai energy concern PTT Exploration and Production is to invest some 15.8 million dollars over four years in two natural gas blocks in Myanmar. Exploration for the blocks, with estimated reserves of 1.5-7.5 trillion cubic feet, is set to begin next year.