Thailand, Myanmar seek to boost border trade, investment

BANGKOK, Sept 23 - Myanmar's Union Parliament Speaker Shwe Mann met with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today in the Thai capital, agreeing to boost bilateral trade and investment and solve ongoing border issues.

Thura Shwe Mann, the Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw, the lower house of the Myanmar parliament, paid a courtesy call on the Thai premier. He said Myanmar is in political transition and its government vowed to go through all hardship in order to become a democratic country. Myanmar can also learn from Thailand’s experiences.

Both leaders also discussed border issues including border demarcation and opening more permanent border passes to increase trade and investment.

Myanmar will speed up the implementation of the "National Single Window", to facilitate trade and customs clearance as initiated by Thailand, he said.

The two leaders also agreed to hasten the development of the Dawei Special Economic Zone. The Thai premier said she instructed Thai state enterprises to study infrastructure investment in Myanmar's Dawei.

She noted that Thailand and Myanmar need to push forward the project for the benefit of the two neighbours and the regional grouping of ASEAN.

Regarding migrant worker issue, the Myanmar house speaker thanked Thailand for taking care of Myanmar workers, allowing them to go through national verification process and registration.

He said Thailand also treated the Myanmar migrant workers fairly and supported them to utilise their rights under the Thai labour law.

He said this helps enhance relations of the two countries even more.

Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the Thai premier and the Myanmar House Speaker discussed the relaxation of border trade regulations to improve logistics system in the region.

He said Thailand set an annual 20 per cent increase of border trade with the Lao PDR, Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia, to one trillion baht, up from the current 900 billion baht.

source: Pattaya Mail
http://www.pattayamail.com/news/thailand-myanmar-seek-to-boost-border-trade-investment-30482