BKK Post / 14 November 1998

BORDER
Laos agrees with plan to clear up problems
Including frontier demarcation issue

   Laos has agreed to a Thai plan aimed at clearing up all 
bilateral problems, including the sensitive issue of border 
demarcation, by the year 2003.
   The message from Vientiane was sent to Thailand by Lao 
Foreign Minister Somsavat Lengsavad during talks with his 
Thai counterpart Surin Pitsuwan in the annual joint 
commission meeting on Wednesday.
   The two countries have had to work out how to transform 
the idea into practice, said a Lao official on the so-
called vision plan proposed by Mr Surin in a visit to Laos 
in June.
   Ending the problems will let the two countries fully 
concentrate on a free trade scheme due to be launched by 
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in which both 
are members, in 2003.
   Both also pledged to complete economic master plans on 
cooperation in electricity, communications and 
telecommunications, agriculture and agro-industry, and 
investment.
   These agreements are due to be signed when Lao Premier 
Sisavath Keobounphanh makes a scheduled visit to Thailand 
early next year.
   The two prime ministers plan to sign agreements on land 
transportation, extradition and visa exemption for 
officials and diplomats.
   Laos will upgrade four checkpoints opposite Ubon 
Ratchathani, Nakhon Phanom and Chiang Rai to enable ease of 
access for international visitors and clear the way for 
closer cooperation, Deputy Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman 
Kitti Wasinondh said on Thursday.
   But the most sensitive issue is still the border 
demarcation, which delayed their meeting for five hours to 
clarify the already demarcated land border.
   The two countries put markers for 261 kilometres out of 
702 kilometres.
   They reaffirmed that demarcating the land border would 
be completed in the next two years as planned before moving 
on to the border separated by the Mekong River.
   "The border demarcation has to take into account 
sensitive issues," Mr Kitti said.
   Mr Somsavat, who also is a deputy prime minister, called 
for decisive measures to end drug trafficking, illegal 
migration, black marketeers and border insecurity. - 
Bangkok Post