5 Mekong Leaders Seek Biz Investment from Japan

Tokyo, July 3 (Jiji Press)--Visiting leaders from five Mekong River countries called for stepped-up investment from Japanese companies, at an economic forum held by the Japan External Trade Organization in Tokyo on Friday. The leaders are visiting Japan to attend a summit on Saturday between Japan and the five Southeast Asian nations--Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. At the forum, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said that his government intends to strengthen the country's economic growth by improving its railway systems and other infrastructure and by promoting special economic zones. While pointing out that Thailand will work closely with Myanmar on a Dawei special economic zone project in southern Myanmar, Prayuth stressed that cooperation from Japan is also necessary. Myanmarese President Thein Sein also emphasized the importance of the Dawei economic zone, saying that he wants to bring the project to a success by obtaining support from Japan. Myanmar will redouble efforts to foster labor-intensive industries, he added. Noting that Japan and the United States are working to successfully conclude ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership multilateral free trade talks, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that his country will beef up domestic reforms based on the market mechanism to prepare for launch of the next-generation free trade system. Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong expressed his hopes for foreign investment in the country's agriculture, energy and tourism sectors. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen underscored his intention to spur the country's economic growth by boosting income levels of its people. END