Second Thai-Lao Joint Cabinet Retreat set on May 19

BANGKOK, May 15 (TNA) - Thailand and Laos will hold their joint Cabinet retreat (JCR), the second of its kind, in Chiang Mai province in the Thai North on May 19, with a joint statement, to be issued after the JCR, to be focused on upgrading border checkpoints. Government Spokesman Dr. Tossaporn Serirak told journalists that the Thai Cabinet, at its weekly meeting on Tuesday, endorsed the draft of the joint statement of the 2nd Thai-Lao JCR, in which Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul and his Lao counterpart Thonglun Sisulit will ink, while both sides' prime ministers will also be present at the signing ceremony. According to the spokesman, the joint statement indicates the two neighbours' intentions to push for more bilateral cooperation in various areas, including speeding up border survey and demarcation, following a meeting of the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) under the Thai-Lao Joint Border Committee (JBC), hosted by Thailand from May 1-3, and the Kingdom will also host the 9th Thai-Lao JBC in August 2013. (TNA)