Friday, December 9, 2011

Indochina meeting urges UXO clearance to boost development

Attapeu province: Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are set to increase cooperation in landmine clearance in their border areas, to encourage growth in the Development Triangle Zone.

The Security and Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee of the Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam Development Triangle Zone yesterday agreed to highlight the importance of UXO clearance for bringing investment and development projects to the area, at the Ministerial Conference on Development of the Triangle Zone.


According to UXO Laos, provinces along the Lao, Cambodian and Vietnamese borders were some of the most heavily affected areas during the peak bombing periods of the Indochina War in the 1960s and 1970s. It’s estimated that around 30 percent of the bombs dropped didn’t explode, leaving behind a deadly legacy and a major obstacle to development in the region.

The 7th ministerial conference on developing the 13 Lao, Cambodian and Vietnamese border provinces, starting today in Attapeu province, is expected to include discussions on UXO removal.

The meeting will also discuss trade, investment and tourism as well as social, environmental and cultural cooperation in a bid to boost development in an area categorised as one of the poorest in the region.
According to the CLV Security and Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee, another major issue facing the three countries is the need to enhance cooperation in combating drug trafficking, to ensure the peace and security necessary to attract trade and investment.

The Economic Sub-Committee of the Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam Development Triangle Zone also met yesterday to discuss measures to boost trade and investment in the border area.

According to the meeting secretariat, participants emphasised the need for the three countries to strengthen cooperation and coordination in promoting trade, investment and tourism.

Meeting participants urged the three governments to speed up the implementation of Japan-funded development projects so they can begin discussions with the Japanese government on bringing new cooperation projects to the area.

In 1999 Japan set up a development fund of US$20 million for Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam to develop infrastructure in the Development Triangle Zone.

The Socio-Environment Sub-Committee also met yesterday to discuss cultural, education and environmental cooperation. Laos proposed that Champassak University be adopted as the regional educational institute.

The university would offer a curriculum in all three languages of the Zone and would provide the personnel needed to meet the demands of development.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Coordination Sub-Committee wants the three governments to speed up road construction in the Zone and to open more border crossings to facilitate trade, investment and tourism.
The Senior Officials’ Meeting opened under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bounkeuth Sangsomsak and his Cambodian and Vietnamese counterparts to discuss the comments of the sub-committees before submitting the issues for discussion at the ministerial conference today.

Source: Vientiane Times
December 09, 2011