YANGON, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar and Thailand have formed a high-level joint committee to speed up comprehensive development of the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and its related projects in Myanmar's southern Taninthayi region, official media reported Friday.
The joint committee was set up on the occasion of Myanmar Vice President U Nyan Tun's visit to Thailand over the last three days and the committee's first meeting was followed in Bangkok, said the New Light of Myanmar.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also inked on the implementation of the project, witnessed by U Nyan Tun and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
The project will be implemented phase by phase, with priority given to the important sectors, according to the MoU.
The project was agreed during the last visit to Thailand by Myanmar's President U Thein Sein in July.
The Dawei SEZ project, being implemented by the Italian-Thai Development Company and involving six local contractors, was in progress, Deputy Minister of Rail Transportation U Thuang Lwin told the parliament in August.
Myanmar and Thailand signed a framework agreement in November 2010, covering a number of projects to be built in the first ever special economic zone in Myanmar.
The projects include construction of the Dawei deep sea-port, buildings for shipyard and maintenance work, the Dawei-Bangkok motor road and railroad as well as oil pipeline along the motorway and railroad, according to the framework agreement.
The Dawei deep sea-port, bypassing the Malacca Strait, will shorten the transportation route to Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
The SEZ project, scheduled to complete by 2018, will feature steel mills, refineries, a petrochemical complex and power plants.
The two countries agreed to establish connectivity between the Dawei Special Economic Zone in the southernmost part of Myanmar and Laem Chabang Industrial Estate of Chonburi seaboard of Thailand.
|
