S Korea, Mekong countries to hold talks on economic cooperation

South Korea's foreign minister Kim Sung-hwan will hold first-ever talks with five Mekong counties this week in Seoul, the foreign ministry said here on Tuesday. Diplomats of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand will visit Seoul Thursday for the two-day talks over economic cooperation and development efforts in the five Mekong nations. Following the meeting, proposed last year by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, South Korea plans to continuously expand economic ties with the five countries and launch various development projects there, according to the ministry. Trade between South Korea and the five countries reached 25 billion U.S. dollars last year.