1. Talks between Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and visiting Myanmar Prime Minister Lieut. General Soe Win in Ha Noi on April 7:

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and Myanmar Prime Minister Lieut. General Soe Win said that they will instruct their ministries and sectors to work out concrete action programmes and construct a proper cooperation mechanism to promote trade and investment cooperation. The two PMs shared the desire to raise two-way trade value to 50 million USD this year.

They agreed to increase co-investments to fully tap the potential of the two nations, especially in agriculture, forestry, industry, fisheries, health care, oil and gas, tourism, post and telecommunications, and transport.

The two PMs also discussed orientations and measures to boost multi-faceted cooperation for mutual benefit as agreed upon at the 5th session of the Viet Nam-Myanmar Joint Committee in Ha Noi last December.

PM Khai thanked the Myanmar people for their support for and assistance to the Vietnamese people in their past struggle for national independence as well as national construction and development. He affirmed that Viet Nam attaches importance to consolidating and developing traditional relations and all-round cooperation with Myanmar.

PM Soe Win expressed his joy at visiting Viet Nam for the first time as Prime Minister of Myanmar. He said he believed the results of the visit would contribute to enhancing bilateral ties.

While briefing PM Khai on recent developments in Myanmar, PM Soe Win said the Myanmar Government and people are actively carrying out the seven-step roadmap to democracy and have successfully completed the second phase of the Congress for National Unity, a part of the roadmap.

PM Khai spoke highly of the efforts of the Myanmar Government in implementing the process and said he hoped it would bring back peace and stability to Myanmar to facilitate the country's construction and development.

During the talks, the two PMs exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern. They both emphasised the necessity of strengthening solidarity within the ASEAN. They also stressed the need to consistently uphold the ASEAN's fundamental principles and increase cooperation within the group in all fields in order to establish an ASEAN community close in politics and security, strong in economy, and rich in culture.

The two PMs also praised the two countries' cooperation within the framework of the Sub-region Mekong cooperation, the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), and the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Viet Nam cooperation and agreed to continue building upon those ties.

PM Khai said he wanted Myanmar and countries along the upper part of the Mekong river to ensure the welfare of the lower Mekong basin countries by sustainably utilising the river's water resources.

PM Khai thanked the Myanmar government for its support for Viet Nam's bid to join the World Trade Organisation.

The talks took place in an atmosphere of friendship, mutual understanding and trust.

PM Soe Win invited PM Khai to visit Myanmar and PM Khai accepted the invitation.

2. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai hosted a banquet in honour of visiting Myanmar Prime Minister Lieut. General Soe Win and his entourage in Hanoi on April 7.

Speaking at the banquet, PM Khai warmly welcomed PM Soe Win to Vietnam, describing his visit as an important milestone in the traditional friendship and all-round relations between the two countries.

Khai stressed that the Vietnamese people would never forget the Myanmar Government and people's support for Vietnam during its struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as national construction process.

The PM said, as members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam and Myanmar have shared common goals and desires for the association. They have, together with other ASEAN member countries, been determined to maintain solidarity and promote co-operation and investment among the bloc with a view to boosting ASEAN's prestige and role in the region and international arena.

The Vietnamese Government and people will always desire the friendship of and co-operation with the Myanmar people, he added.

In reply, Myanmar PM Soe Win expressed his thanks to the Vietnamese leaders and people for their warm reception, revealing of the friendship between the two countries over the past decades.

The Myanmar PM spoke highly of Vietnam's outstanding socio-economic achievements and wished the Vietnamese people greater success in their national construction and development. He also thanked Vietnam for its support for and assistance to Myanmar in regional and international co-operation forums.

The two PMs toasted the increasingly expanded traditional friendship and all-round co-operation between Vietnam and Myanmar.

Vietnam's friendship and co-operation with Myanmar benefit the two peoples, and consolidate solidarity and co-operation among ASEAN countries for peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region and the world, Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh told his guest, Myanmar Prime Minister Soe Win.

Describing Myanmar Prime Minister Lieut. General Soe Win's visit as a vivid manifestation of the traditional friendship and co-operation between the two countries, General Secretary Manh expressed his delight at the fine development of their friendship and co-operation.

The Party leader praised the Myanmar people's achievements in their national construction and development. He wished them success in the process of national reconciliation and still greater achievements in national development.

He asked PM Soe Win to convey his best regards to Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior General Than Shwe and other leaders of Myanmar.

PM Soe Win affirmed Myanmar would continue strengthening co-operative ties with Vietnam. He invited General Secretary Manh to visit Myamar. The latter accepted the invitation with pleasure.

4. President Luong meets Myanmar Prime Minister:

President Tran Duc Luong affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to the traditional friendship and multi-faceted co-operation with Myanmar during his meeting with Myanmar Prime Minister Lieutenant General Soe Win in Hanoi on April 7.

President Luong also assured the Myanmar leader that Vietnam gives a high priority in its foreign policy to neighbouring countries.

He hailed the Myanmar Government's efforts in implementing the seven-step roadmap to democracy to stabilise the country and achieve national reconciliation, and said he hoped that Myanmar would carry out the process successfully.

On bilateral ties, President Luong expressed his delight at the fine developments in the two countries' ties over the past and at the efforts the two sides have made to enhance their political ties, as reflected by the exchange of visits at various levels.

He said he believed that following the results of the talks between the two Vietnamese and Myanmar PMs, the two countries would create new orientations to boost bilateral relations in specific areas, including trade, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, post and telecommunications, healthcare, tourism, and transport and communications.

At the meeting, President Luong requested that the two countries' governments, ministries, sectors and relevant agencies listen to their businessmen's opinions to help them remove obstacles. He said this will raise the two countries' trade and investment ties to a level equal to their political and diplomatic ties.

He thanked Myanmar for its support for Vietnam's bid to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and wished for its interest in Vietnam's proposal to join hands in sustainably using water resources in the Mekong river.

On this occasion, President Luong asked PM Soe Win to convey his best regards to Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior General Than Shwe.

PM Soe Win praised the Vietnamese people's achievements in socio-economic development and national construction and informed the host about Myanmar's socio-economic development, especially when the country was in the transitional period moving from the centralised planning economy to market-oriented one. He said he intended to continue carrying out the seven-step democratic roadmap to meet the Myanmar people's aspirations for national reconciliation. Myanmar supports Vietnam's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the sustainable use of Mekong river resources for the welfare of the countries by the lower of the river portion./.