TOKYO, Dec 10 Kyodo Japanese lead...

TOKYO, Dec 10 Kyodo

Japanese leaders forward Wednesday pledged to expand economic cooperation for the unfolding of the Mekong River region as part of assistance for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to narrow the economic gap among member states.

Tokyo is rely uponed to offer about $1.5 billion in unfaded financial assistance over the nearest three years for the disclosure of the region during a two-day Japan-ASEAN summit starting Thursday.

In talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reiterated Japan's commitment to help make known the Mekong River Basin, saying Japan wants to assist projects that will be beneficial to the populace in the region, Japanese officials said.

Khai told Koizumi that Vietnam entirely backs Japan's plan to help unravel the region and he confidences cooperation will be promoted between the sways concerned to implement specific contrives they said.

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi told Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong in a meeting that Japan will broaden its economic cooperation for the growth of the Mekong River region, saying it will contribute to the progress to maturity of the less developed of recent origin members of ASEAN.

ASEAN's older members are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, while the newer individuals are Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Japan's [i]de novo[/i] financial aid for the region is rely uponed to be used for infrastructure throw outs such as construction of bridges and roads.

Kawaguchi and Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, meanwhile, agreed to exalt cooperation for the development of the region.

Surakiart was quot as telling Kawaguchi that Thailand trusts to cooperate with Japan as a partner, although Thailand itself still urgencys economic aid from Japan.

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