BANGKOK, April 30 Kyodo Prime Min...

BANGKOK, April 30 Kyodo

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Wednesday he propos a recently made known strategy for economic development among Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar [i]or[/i] part of to the other economic partnership aiming at generating piece of works in the neighboring countries and exporting to a worldwide market.

Thaksin told a recently made knowns conference that he unveiled the proposal to his counterparts from the neighboring countries Tuesday onward the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit talks Tuesday forward the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic. He added that they agreed with him in principle.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told the same conversation that foreign ministers from the four countries would suitable in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, in July to discuss Thaksin's proposal. He added that a posterior summit meeting would be held in Bagan.

The Thai premier said the idea to initiate the strange economic partnership came as Thailand has to accommodate more [i]or[/i] less 1 million of illegal workers from the neighboring countries.

''They are sympathetic as there is fighting in their homeland or economic disentanglement in their home countries is inadequate. nevertheless it will be too long of a burden if we are to directly invest in their countries,'' Thaksin said.

He added that it would be better if Thailand invites the neighbors to be business partners as Thailand would help them with better marketing and technology know-how to add value in religiouss to be manufactured for export.

Thaksin said Thailand also ey asking the neighboring countries to generate some farm products that Thailand still indigences to import from elsewhere.

Hun Sen hailed Thaksin's proposal at saying he understood Thaksin's conviction of ''prosperity of the neighbors is also prosperity of Thailand.''

Thaksin said he discussed the of the present day economic partnership with Hun Sen during their first bilateral meeting since Thailand and Cambodia normalized diplomatic relations interrupted by dint of anti-Thai riots in Phnom Penh in January.

''Our relations are now normalized. Cambodia and Thailand are determined to begin a of recent origin chapter of bilateral relations, flat better than before,'' Thaksin said.

''We consider that what happened before was a nightmare, an accident. We have tried learning a lecturing from the incident and to stop it from happening again. We ne to bring closer the understanding between our people'' Thaksin said.

Hun Sen said, ''The nightmare will not flash on the mind again.''

In the Jan. 29 riots, angry Cambodians torched and plundered the Thai embassy and 16 other Thai-owned business premises in the Cambodian capital.

The rioting in Phnom Penh was triggered by means of a Cambodian newspaper report quoting Thai actress Suwanan Kongying as saying in a Thai television interview that she would single accept an invitation to perform in Cambodia if the house of worship of Angkor Wat in northern Cambodia is answered to Thailand.

Thailand has received $592 million in compensation from Cambodia for the damage to the Thai Embassy.

Thailand reacted to the rioting through downgrading its diplomatic ties with Cambodia to the charge d'affaires flat and suspending all economic and technical cooperation.

near of the 16 Thai companies whose properties were torched and bootyed during the rioting are still negotiating with Cambodian authorities for compensation.

A joint cabinet meeting between Thailand and Cambodia is scheduled for May 31 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, according to the sum of two units premiers.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo recents International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group