Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia Agree Cooperation in Border AreaCooperation among four provinces, namely Gia Lai and Kon Tum in Vietnam, Attopeu in Laos and Ratanakiri in Cambodia was agreed upon at the first meeting of the Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodian expert group, Vietnam News Agency reported on Monday.The meeting took place here on last Wednesday and Thursday was convened in order to implement the Initiative of Cooperation for Development in the three countries' border regions put forth by the three Prime Ministers in October 1999. The cooperation aims to promote economic ties among the four provinces, particularly in communications, commerce, tourism, agro- forestry, and energy. The Vietnamese delegation to the meeting was led by Le Chi Hien, Head of the Planning and Investment Ministry's Laos and Cambodia External Relations Department; the Cambodian delegation by Sun Saphoeun, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; and the Lao delegation by Somchith Inthamith, Director of the Foreign Ministry's Economics Department. The second meeting is to be held in Lao capital Vientiane early next year to discuss communications and trade cooperation among these provinces. |
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