Government works out strategies for Upper Thai Northeast

MUKDAHAN, July 1 (TNA) - The government is working out development strategies for provinces in the Upper Thai Northeast, which are in line with its national development strategies. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra chaired a workshop of parties concerned in the northeastern Mukdahan Province on Monday to work out the development strategies for the upper northeastern region, as she led authorities from the capital to gather information from the parties concerned in order to produce right development strategies for the region. According to the prime minister, the development strategies for the Upper Thai Northeast include those on raising income and competitiveness of local people and businesses, reducing economic and social inequality, boosting environmentally-friendly growth and empowering all local sectors to cope with the ASEAN Community (AC), set to be formed by 2015. The prime minister suggested integrated maps and strategies of all agencies concerned, covering infrastructure development, water management and agricultural zoning plans in the Upper Thai Northeast. The Thai premier acknowledged that her administration will implement development projects which meet specific needs of each province, elaborating that there will be, for instance, projects on improving border crossings in Mukdahan Province along the Thai-Lao frontier. (TNA)