BANGKOK, Nov. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Leaders from five Mekong Delta countries ended a summit meeting Thursday, agreeing on the importance of a joint forward-looking approach in inter-country cooperation to lay a strong foundation for meeting regional needs and achieving regional goals in various areas in the future.

    Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra joined the heads of governments of four other member states of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, in signing the Bangkok Declaration on the agreed cooperation at the end of the Second ACMECS Summit, according to the Thai News Agency.

    The agreements include deepening regional cooperation in areas of high priority, collectively addressing regional threats posed by newly-emerging and re-emerging diseases in a timely manner, bringing more advanced technology to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of ACMECS wherever possible and appropriate and taking collective measures to strengthen the five-nation ACMECS grouping.

    Areas of high priority include trade, investment, as well as agricultural, industrial, transport and energy cooperation, in which the five member countries have agreed to reduce tariff barriers, further promote cross border trade by all means and jointly study on alternative energy programs and jointly push for regional transport links.

    The member states recognized the potential threat to human lives as well as to economic development posed by newly emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and diseases related to water,hygiene and food quality and the need to enhance regional preparedness for and effectiveness in tackling such threats.

    They have agreed to endorse the establishment of public health as a new sector of cooperation under ACMECS, undertake concrete collective measures to prevent a regional pandemic of avian influenza as outlined in the ACMECS Leaders' Declaration on Partnership in Combating Avian Influenza and Other Infectious Diseases.

    They also agreed to establish a network of public health agencies to promote information sharing, provide early warning and cooperate on capacity building, identify areas of cooperation and necessary measures to contain trans-border diseases and mitigate their impact.

    Thailand has also pledged to contribute 100 million baht (2.5 million US dollars) to a regional fund on combating avian flu and preventing its mutation. Enditem