Mekong nations leaders meet to seal ties

Leaders from Southeast Asia\'s five Mekong river countries are gathering in Vietnam\'s capital, Hanoi, for talks that aim to boost economic ties and trade across the developing region.

The prime ministers of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Burma are to be joined by Thailand\'s prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, on Friday for a wider summit.

Thailand plans to propose the issue of capability in food production and agriculture and to grant 100 scholarships to country members for further studies in the kingdom.
Except for middle-income Thailand, the other four nations remain among the region\'s poorest, and hope to build prosperity through closer regional transport and commercial links with each other and with China.