Kuwait has signed two economic agreements with gas-rich Myanmar as part of Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's tour of the region, state media reports said Thursday. Nasser visited Myanmar's military capital of Naypyitaw on Wednesday and held talks with Prime Minister General Thein Sein to discuss bilateral relations, said The New Light of Myanmar daily. The two premiers witnessed the signing of an “Agreement for the Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of investment between the Union of Myanmar and the State of Kuwait” and an “Agreement for Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Union of Myanmar and the State of Kuwait.” Myanmar is rich in offshore natural gas reserves which last year earned the country about $2.6 billion in export revenues. The Kuwaiti premier has been on a tour of Asia that has already taken him to Brunei, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia and Laos. He will also visit Thailand on Aug. 13 to 14. In Laos and Cambodia, Nasser expressed Kuwait's interest in investing in the two countries' agricultural sectors. “This is a new policy of Kuwait,” said Laos Foreign Ministry spokesman Yong Chanthalangsy. “Now they have extra money from oil, so they are looking further afield for investments. This is good for us because we have economic potential but lack capital. Moreover, the prime ministers of Cambodia and Kuwait have signed five new agreements, covering trade, aviation and investment. Prime Minister Hun Sen and the visiting Kuwaiti premier met in Phnom Penh on Monday. The Cambodian prime minister said there'll be further talk on boosting trade and investment, and added that Kuwait has promised to help Cambodia develop its agricultural sector. Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the two premiers also discussed oil cooperation, with Cambodia asking Kuwait to help train local experts on the petroleum industry.
