Abe Holds Meetings with Mekong Country Leaders

October 9, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday held bilateral meetings with leaders from four of the five Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong.

Abe and the visiting leaders of Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos agreed to enhance cooperation in promoting free trade and strengthen bilateral relations on the economic and other fronts.

With Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Abe exchanged views on issues related to the South China Sea, where China is building military bases.

Tokyo and Hanoi exchanged notes on planned Japanese grant aid of up to 1,204 million yen to help Vietnam buy inspection equipment needed to expand its exports of agricultural products and marine food.

In a meeting with Thai military leader and interim Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Abe discussed Thailand's planned participation in the 11-member Trans-Pacific Partnership regional free trade deal including Japan and some Southeast Asian countries.

Abe also held talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith. As for Myanmar, the remaining Mekong country in Southeast Asia, Abe will meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, state counsellor and foreign minister, on Tuesday.

The leaders of the five Mekong countries will hold a summit with Abe in Tokyo on Tuesday. They are expected to adopt new guidelines on the Mekong-Japan cooperation mainly covering the fields of human resources development and environment.

Also on Monday, Suu Kyi met with Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of Komeito, the coalition partner of Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Yamaguchi expressed concerns about crackdowns on Myanmar's Rohingya minority. Suu Kyi replied that her country will work harder to build a peaceful democratic state. Jiji Press