[Tlc] L-new highway to China

[justinm at ucr.edu]

FYI.
Thanks,
justin



2008-0309 - VOA - Laos to Inaugurate Route 3 this Month

http://www.voanews.com/lao/2008-03-09-voa3.cfm?rss=topstories

Laos to Inaugurate Route 3 this Month
By Dara Baccam
09/03/2008

Report in Lao by Songrit from Bangkok, 1.09 MB - Download
(MP3) audio clip
Report in Lao by Songrit from Bangkok, 1.09 MB - Listen to
(MP3) audio clip

Laos' Ministry of Public Works reports that the construction
of Route 3 connecting southern China to Thailand via Luang
Namtha and Bokeo provinces is virtually completed, and the
highway will be inaugurated before the third annual summit of
the GMS nations that Laos is hosting at the end of this month.

Construction of the 228 km-long highway began in 2004 at a
cost of almost 74 million dollars, funded by grants and
long-term loans from the Asian Development Bank, Thailand and
China as part of the plan to develop economic cooperation
among members of the Greater Mekong Sub-region or GMS, aimed
at boosting trade and tourism among others, and supported by
ADB and the World Bank.

Meanwhile, Thailand's Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama says
his government will begin coordinating with Lao officials on
the plan to launch a ground-breaking ceremony as soon as
possible for the construction of the third Lao-Thai Friendship
Bridge. The Thai Foreign Minister confirms that the bridge,
linking Thakek on the Lao side with Nakorn Phanom on the Thai
side, will be funded 100% by Thai assistance. He adds that
Thailand will also work on ways to help improve and renovate
Savannakhet's international airport.

In another develoment, Malaysia's Pacifica Streams Development
Corporation has been licenced by the Lao government to be a
joint-investor in the Savannakhet-Seno Special Economic Zone.
The Special Zone will be built on Route 9 in Kaysone Phomvihan
district. The Malaysian company expects to make an initial
investment of $14 millions on infrastructure construction for
the 210-hectare zone.

Listen to our report for more details in Lao.
__._,_.___

______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
2617 Humanities Building
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu