Thailand to work with growing CLMV

BANGKOK, March 24 (TNA) - Thailand is working with the growing CLMV group, comprising of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, especially in related trade strategies. Vice Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office Kobsak Pootrakool spoke of the government's policy on March 23, saying that Thailand and the CLMV group, or the so-called CLMVT, need to link the trade strategies in order to reduce their cross-border barriers, covering those in public transport and cargo logistics. Kobsak cited as an example that the Thai government is trying to materialize the development of new major land routes, connecting Mae Sot in Tak Province in the Lower Thai North with Yangon City in Myanmar. Besides, the Thai government is considering to open more border checkpoints, including the one in Mae Hong Son Province in the Upper Thai North to become a most shortcut linking Thailand with Mandalay in Myanmar and the other in Surin Province in the Thai Northeast to connect with Cambodia. According to the vice minister, the government is also promoting the Thai business sector to expand its investment to neighboring countries and to help develop the potential of Thai workers. Meanwhile, other trade and investment experts in the CLMV group have expressed the similar view on the need for closer cooperation among fellow member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen the 10-member bloc amid a slowdown in trade and investment activities between the United States and Asia due to impacts from economic policies of new US President Donald Trump. (TNA)