Narrowing development gap vital to CLMV countries and ASEAN

From left to right: Myanmar President Win Myint, Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Cambodian PM Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith and ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi, Bangkok, Thailand, June 16, 2018. Photo: VGP

PM urges Mekong countries to reform operational mechanism

PM busy on sidelines of regional summits

PM meets Lao, Thai counterparts on sidelines of regional summits

Infographics: Brief introduction to ACMECS, CLMV cooperation mechanisms

The Government chief made the above statement while addressing the 9th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Viet Nam (CLMV) Summit in Bangkok on Saturday.

From that perspective, PM Phuc called on the four countries to steer cooperation on proper and highly feasible domains like soft infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, training, and improvement of business climate amid their financial constraints.

He suggested the four countries should be dynamic in mobilizing resources for their transnational projects while developing medium and long term cooperation strategies to lay foundation for deployment of specific cooperation activities.

PM Phuc affirmed Viet Nam is ready to facilitate the member countries to participate in trade fairs in Viet Nam, develop e-Government, and continue its scholarship program for students from Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

During the summit, the leaders reviewed cooperation progress since the previous summit held in Ha Noi in October 2016), discussing orientations and measures to improve the effectiveness of CLMV cooperation.

They affirmed their determination to accelerate cooperation in order to promote economic potential of the member countries, contributing to the development of ASEAN as well as sustainable and inclusive development in the region.

The leaders agreed to step up construction and upgrading of roads, including the expressway linking Ha Noi and Vientiane, in the North-South Economic Corridor, the East-West Economic Corridor and the South Economic Corridor

Regarding cooperation in trade, investment and agriculture sectors, the leaders vowed to seriously implement their existing agreements, organizing  trade and investment promotion activities, and boost cross-border trade exchanges.

They pledged to further cut trade barriers and share good agricultural practices.

The leaders agreed to task senior officials to study and put forward measures to streamline the CLMV operation, better align CLVM cooperation with other Mekong cooperation mechanisms.

They also tasked their economic ministers to soon complete the building of the framework for CLMV development.

They took the occasion to call on more active involvement of business sector and development partners in carrying out the CLMV’s joint projects.

The leaders welcomed the 27^th meeting of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN, scheduled to take place in Viet Nam from September 11 -13 this year.

Laos will host the 10^th CLVM Summit./.

By Thuy Dung