Strengthening Vietnam-Myanmar Friendship

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his counterpart Prime Minister Thein Sein both stressed the consistent policy of the two governments to create favorable conditions for manufacturing and trade businesses to achieve success and to bring practical benefits to both Vietnam and Myanmar (Burma).

The working visit by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and the senior delegation of the Vietnamese Government to Myanmar from 2 to 4 April has been a successful visit that brings along positive outcomes in all fields of agriculture, trade, investment, and so forth.

Multifaceted Cooperation
The high-level talks and meetings between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Senior General Than Shwe, Prime Minister Thein Sein were conducted in an atmosphere of warm friendship that reflects the traditional and cooperative friendship in many facets between Vietnam and Myanmar.

In all the meeting Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung thanked his hosts for the solemn and hospitable welcome and reception that the Myanmar's Government and People had reserved for the high-level delegation of the Vietnamese Government.

While extending his sincere wish of success to the people of Myanmar who are implementing "the seven-step democratization" process and the organization of a free and fair general election, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung confirmed that Vietnam has always attached importance to the strengthening of the traditional friendship and the multifaceted cooperation with Myanmar. He also expressed his wish to see a new breakthrough in the quality of the cooperative relations between the two countries in economic and trade.

Pledge to Boost Coordination
Both Senior General Than Shwe and Prime Minister Thein Sein praised Vietnam's achievements during the renewal period, and asserted the belief that the visit would contribute to further developing the friendly relations and fine cooperation between the two countries. Senior General Than Shwe expressed his strong support for the Joint Declaration on the cooperation between the two governments, and suggested that relevant ministries, sectors and businesses from both countries to enhance their interaction and carry out measures to implement the agreements that were reached during this visit.

Leaders of the two countries also pledged to boost coordination with the cooperation frameworks of ASEAN and other sub-region cooperation frameworks including the CLMV, ACMECS, GMS and EWEC.

Cooperation in Essential Fields
One of the major objectives of the working visit to Myanmar by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and the senior level delegation of the Vietnamese Government is to create a breakthrough in cooperative relations between the two countries in economic, trade and investment activity.
Myanmar is a country with rich natural resources and fertile land, with the total arable land area of around 23 million hectares, of which only 50 percent of land have been used. The bilateral trade value between the two countries, which is only about $100 million a year at present, is not commensurate with the vast potential of both countries.

Addressing the issue, at their talks Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Prime Minister Thein Sein agreed to boost cooperation in many important fields such as agriculture, industrial plantation, aquatic product, banking and finance, aviation, telecommunications, oil and gas, mining, manufacturing and supplying electrical appliances, manufacturing and assembling automobile, construction and cooperation in trade and investment.

The guiding agreement between the two prime ministers has been positively realized with concrete actions. At ministry-level, a series of agreements were reached between the two sides in regard to investment promotion, agricultural cooperation, marine product, banking and telecommunications.

Conference for Investment Promotion
At the Conference for Investment Promotion from Vietnam to Myanmar, Tran Bac Ha, chairman of the Association of Vietnamese Investors in Myanmar, revealed that Vietnamese enterprises will invest over $600 million in marine product breeding, rubber plantation and other industrial plants, exploitation of white granite, manufacturing electrical appliances, car assembly, telecommunications, oil and gas exploration and exploitation in Myanmar sea, and so forth.

Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc believed that Vietnam will become one of the major investors in Myanmar.

Practical Benefits
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his counterpart Prime Minister Thein Sein both stressed the consistent policy of the two governments to create favorable conditions for manufacturing and trade businesses to achieve success and to bring practical benefits to both Vietnam and Myanmar.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and the high level delegation of the Vietnamese Government successfully concluded the Myanmar visit on 4 April. He left Yangon n 4 April for Hua Hin (Thailand) to attend the Mekong River Commission Summit.