HRH Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Lao Vice President Bounnhang Vorachith jointly presided over the opening ceremony, pushing electronic bottoms to mark the opening of the 1,600meterlong bridge across Southeast Asia's longest river.

The bridge, however, will not open for service until Thailand and Laos reach an agreement to establish a joint mechanism for its operation. Before the real service expected next year, the bridge will serve as an attractive site for tourism, a Thai official said.

Visitors will be allowed to walk on the bridge to see the river view. Laos is holding celebrations for a week,  the Thai side for three days.

Prime Mister Surayud Chulanont said the bridge will not only serve transportation needs but also benefit the economic development of the whole region.

The bridge connects land transportation from Burma via Thailand and Laos to Vietnam and opens a route to China, Japan and Koreas, he said.

Lao Premier Bouasone Bouphavanh said the bridge would turn Laos from landlocked country to take up a significant role in the economic development of the region.

It is a symbol of cooperation between Thailand, Laos and Japan, he added.

"We promise to maximise utility of the bridge for development as much as possible," he said.

Buasone also expressed his regret for the lost of lives of a Japanese engineer and local workers during the bridge's construction last year.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation financed 8 billion yen (Bt2.4 billion) for the bridge construction. It is a part of a regional development scheme: Greater Mekong Subregion's East West Corridor. Thailand and Laos share ownership of the bridge and debt burden of the Japanese loan equally.

Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Katsuhito Asano said during the opening ceremony that Japan is committed to further cooperation with countries in the Mekong region, notably Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Vietnam.

The Mekong region is the priority and Japan will extend Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the countries in the region for the next three years.

"In addition, Japan will extend US$4 million (Bt143 million) for Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Vietnam," he said.

Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Tan Dung also attended the bridge's opening ceremony as a special gust since Vietnam is considered a key element of the East West Corridor project.

Strategic planners for the project hope Vietnam's port in central Danang province will play a significant role in transportation and shipment of goods from Thailand and Laos to the Pacific.

by Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation, Mukdahan