The Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Mekong River Basin
Development Cooperation was opened Tuesday in Kunming, capital of
southwest China's Yunnan Province.
Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan of China attended the opening ceremony,
and delivered a speech.
Zeng said that China has always
taken an active part in the ASEAN-Mekong River Basin Development
Cooperation, adding that so long as the nations keep exploring new
cooperation areas in line with the principles of consultation,
equality, reciprocity and common development, they will achieve
peace, stability and prosperity in this region.
Zeng spoke highly of the achievements of ASEAN-Mekong River Basin
Development Cooperation, saying that after seven years of concerted
efforts, an open, healthy and mutually beneficial cooperation
pattern is being formed, and cooperation is developing in a more
extensive way.
Further strengthening regional cooperation will help the countries
involved improve the investment environment, accelerate the pace of
development, and enhance economic strength and international
competitiveness, he added.
Zeng also noted that China's rapid and healthy development will
provide more opportunities for ASEAN-Mekong River Basin
cooperation, pledging China's continued willingness to promote
cooperation with all the countries in the region.
He added that Yunnan Province will definitely play an increasingly
important role in the cooperation.
Addressing the ceremony on behalf of ASEAN, Soulivong Daravont,
head of the Laotian delegation, said that the ASEAN countries are
confident about the cooperation prospects.
At the meeting, the delegates listened to a report by the special
working team of Pan-Asian Railway, and chose Laos to chair the next
meeting.
Prior to the meeting, Zeng met with leaders of the delegations of
the ASEAN countries and Tran Duc Minh, deputy secretary-general of
ASEAN.
The ASEAN-Mekong River Basin Development Cooperation held its first
ministerial meeting in Malaysia in 1996. It has since become an
important economic cooperation mechanism within the Mekong River
Basin, with the ASEAN countries and China as its members.
(Xinhua News Agency August 20,
2003)