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NEWS - Thai PM to visit Myanmar jun



Subject: NEWS - Thai PM to visit Myanmar junta 

Thailand-Myanmar-visit
   Thai PM to visit Myanmar junta
   
   BANGKOK, Aug 25 (AFP) - Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai will visit 
Yangon, the Myanmar junta announced Wednesday, adding a date had yet to
be 
fixed.
   The announcement followed meetings in Myanmar between Thai Foreign
Minister 
Surin Pitsuwan and a range of senior officials, including his
counterpart Win 
Aung and the junta's powerful First Secretary Lieutenant General Khin
Nyunt.
   "The two sides agreed that the visit to Myanmar of Thai Prime
Minister 
Chuan Leekpai will take place at a mutually convenient time," the junta 
statement said.
   Surin, leading a senior delegation, returned to Bangkok Wednesday
evening 
from a two-day trip to Yangon.
   The statement said Myanmar and Thailand had vowed to strengthen
border 
cooperation and cooperate in an anti-drugs drive aimed at clamping down
on the 
illicit cross-border trade.
   "We have agreed that suppression of the production and trafficking of 
narcotic drugs is of the highest priority on both sides," the statement
quoted 
Surin saying.
   "We have expressed our concern and our readiness to work closely in
order 
to contain and eradicate illegal activities ... such as gambling and
smuggling 
of gems, artifacts and women and children."
   Myanmar, which forms part of the "Golden Triangle" opium growing
region -- 
along with Thailand and Laos -- has been accused by the international 
community of tolerating and even profiting from the drugs trade.
   Surin was also quoted as hailing growing economic cooperation between
the 
two countries.
   The statement said that in the first half of 1999, trade between the
two 
nations grew by 27 percent to 267.9 million dollars.
   Thailand and Myanmar also agreed to build a second bridge over the
Mae Sai 
river, on the border of Thailand's northern Chaing Rai province and
Thachilek 
in Myanmar.
   de/agr/ajp