Crowds of people on the Thai and Lao banks of the Mekong River in Mukdahan and Savan-nakhet celebrated the opening yesterday of the second Friendship Bridge.

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 1.6km bridge across Southeast Asia's longest river.

However, the bridge will not open for service until Thailand and Laos reach agreement on traffic flow and legal aspects of its operation. Traffic will cross the bridge next year.

Until then the bridge will serve as a tourist site, a Thai official said. Visitors will be allowed to walk on the bridge to enjoy the river view.

Laos is holding celebrations for a week, while there will be festivities for three days on the Thai side.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said the bridge would serve transportation needs and boost economic development of the whole region.

The bridge links key routes from Burma via Thailand and Laos to Vietnam, and opens a passage to China, Japan and the Koreas, he said.

Lao Premier Bouasone Bouphavanh said the bridge would turn Laos from a landlocked country to one able to take up a significant role in regional development.

The bridge was a symbol of cooperation between Thailand, Laos and Japan, he said.

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

Bouasone also expressed

regret at the loss of lives - of a Japanese engineer and local workers - while the bridge was being built last year.

The Japan Bank for Inter-national Cooperation provided an 8-billion-yen loan (Bt2.4 billion) for construction of the bridge.

It is a part of the Greater Mekong Sub-region's East-West Corridor project. Thailand and Laos share ownership of the bridge and equal portions of the Japanese loan.

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

The Mekong region was a priority and Japan would extend Official Development Assistance for 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 opening as a special guest, as 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 transporting and shipping goods from Thailand and Laos to the Pacific.

Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

Mukdahan