Manila - The Philippines and Kuwait on Friday signed three agreements aimed at boosting cooperation between the two countries on health, energy and tourism.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and visiting Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammed al-Ahmed al-Haber al-Sabah witnessed the signing of the agreements.

A Philippine government statement said the agreement on health was expected to facilitate and enhance the sharing of expertise in improving the quality of health-related services in both countries.

The energy cooperation agreement is to pave the way for joint projects as well as enhance training of gas technical personnel and foster private sector cooperation, the statement added.

London, Aug. 13: Sheikh Talal Nasser al-Sabah believed that being a relative of Kuwait's rulers would protect him, but now having been sentenced to death by hanging for drug trafficking, he has appealed to his family to show mercy.

According to The Times, the sheikh, who is in his fifties, was caught by Kuwaiti police with 10kg (22lb) of cocaine and 165lb of hashish.

In addition to drugs trafficking, Sheikh Talal was also found guilty of laundering the proceeds and of illegal possession of two pistols and a shotgun.

Yangon - Oil-rich 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, a government mouthpiece.

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."

Phnom Penh - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday that he would visit the Gulf states of Kuwait and Qatar in January to discuss rice exports in a bid to corner the Gulf market.

"Those countries have oil but no rice," he said in a speech carried on state radio during a rice-planting ceremony about 40 kilometres south-west of Phnom Penh. "I think the Gulf can become our rice market."

Cambodia has been exporting low-grade rice to African countries, such as Guinea, and is muscling its way toward being a major regional rice exporter.

Bangkok - Kuwait expressed interest in investing in Laos' energy and agriculture sectors as part of the oil-rich country's push to find new investment opportunities in Asia, a Lao foreign ministry official said Wednesday.

Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammed al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah, who is on a regional tour of Asia, met with his Lao counterpart Bouasone Bouphavanh on Tuesday.

Bangkok - Kuwaiti Prime Minister Nasir Muhammad is to visit communist Laos next week to commemorate the recent establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Lao Foreign Affairs Ministry officials said Friday.

Nasir was scheduled to visit the capital, Vientiane, Tuesday and Wednesday, weeks after the two countries established diplomatic relations on July 14.

"When he is in Laos, we will sign five documents, including agreements on protection of foreign investments and avoidance of double taxation," said Yong Chanthalangsy, Lao Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Nasir was scheduled to meet with Lao President Choummali Saignason and Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh.