¡¡HANOI, April 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and his visiting Myanmar counterpart Soe Win on Thursday agreed to strengthen the two nations' cooperation on many fields and deepen ties with other regional countries.

    During their talks, the two prime ministers said Vietnam and Myanmar would construct a more flexible cooperation mechanism to boost trade and investment on the fields of agriculture, forestry,seafood, industry, medicine, tourism, telecommunications and transport.

    Vietnam always attaches importance to the reinforcing and developing of the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperative relations with Myanmar, Khai stressed.

    The prime ministers also exchanged views on some regional and international issues of common concern. They stressed the need to reinforce the solidarity among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), adhere to the association's basic principles, and step up intra-block cooperation on all fields, looking forward to an ASEAN community with close politicalties, strong economy and diversified culture.

    The two sides agreed to beef up exchanges and cooperation in the framework of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, and among four late ASEAN members, namely Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

    Also on Thursday, Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong and General Secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nong Duc Manh met with Soe Win.

    Luong thanked Myanmar for supporting Vietnam's effort to join the WTO and paying attention to the sustainable use of water sources in the Mekong River. Manh wished Myanmar rapid success in national reconciliation.

    After visiting Laos, Soe Win arrived Vietnam for the first timeon Thursday for a two-day visit. He will leave the country for Cambodia.

    Vietnam and Myanmar established diplomatic relations in 1975, and set up a joint committee on economic, cultural and scientific and technological cooperation in 2004. They have worked together on gem exploitation, afforestation, oil and gas trading, educationdevelopment, urban and environmental management, and narcotics prevention.

    The two countries hope to reach two-way trade of 50 million US dollars this year, up from more than 40 million dollars last year.Enditem