YANGON, Aug. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Myanmar Prime Minister Khin Nyunt will pay working visits to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos soon, aimed at enhancing ties with the three Southeast Asian (SEA) countries, according to an official announcement here Saturday.

    The three-nation trip, scheduled to start next Monday, is part of his regional tours to member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He visited Malaysia and Thailand in early June.

    Khin Nyunt is expected to discuss with his counterparts of the three nations issues including trade and economic cooperation. TheAsia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) scheduled for October, which involves Myanmar's attendance as a new ASEAN member, is also expected to befocused by their discussions.

    The Myanmar-Vietnam relations continued to develop along with the increase of exchange of visits at high levels.

    In 2000 and 2002, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and President Tran Duc Luong came to Yangon successively, during whicha series of agreements were signed including those on the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion withrespect to taxes on income, cultural cooperation, promotion and reciprocal protection of investments as well as a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a joint committee on trade.

    In March 2003, Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Senior-General Than Shwe visited Hanoi,during which the two countries agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fishery and energy as well as to promote cooperation in the sectors of security through information exchange and fighting terrorism.

    Among the exchange of leadership's visits with Cambodia, Myanmar Chairman Than Shwe went to Phnom Penh in October 1996, during which three agreements were signed on tourism cooperation, air services and the establishment of sister cities between Bagan (Myanmar) and Siemreap (Cambodia).

    Visits to Yangon by then Cambodian First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh and present Prime Minister Hun Sen in 1996 also produced an agreement on the establishment of a joint commission for bilateral cooperation and on mutual exemption of visas for holders of diplomatic and official passports.

    Myanmar resumed diplomatic relations with Cambodia in August 1994 and since then the two countries have been making efforts forall-round development of bilateral ties.

    As for relations with Laos, Myanmar also has held frequent exchange of visits with Laos at high levels in recent years. In May 2003, Than Shwe traveled to Vientiane, during which an agreement on the promotion and protection of investment between the two countries was signed.

    The latest visit to Myanmar by Lao leadership was Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisolith in January this year.

    Meanwhile, Myanmar and Laos have agreed to build a bridge across the Mekong River to link the two nations. Enditem