Bangkok (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Vietnam is readyto contribute to cooperation in the framework of theCambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) mechanism and proposed specific supportfor the countries.

Attendingthe 9th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Summit (CLMV 9) in Bangkok, Thailand onJune 16, PM Phuc said Vietnam will help the countries attend big trade fairs inVietnam, build e-government, improve digital capacity and skills, and continue toprovide CLMV scholarships for Cambodian, Lao and Myanmar students.

Hestressed that narrowing the development gap within the ASEAN is significant tothe socio-economic development in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam as wellas to stability and prosperity of ASEAN as a whole.

ThePrime Minister said there are three points worth of attention in order toachieve the best outcomes in CLMV cooperation. First of all, the cooperationshould focus on sectors which are the strength of the concerned countries withhigh feasibility, especially in the context of limited resources and the fourcountries’ participation in various Mekong mechanisms. He pinpointed someexamples such as soft infrastructure connection, agriculture, tourism, humanresource training, and development of sound and equal business climate.

Secondly, CLMV should be creative in mobilizing resources and building jointprojects, he said, suggesting integrating CLMV’s contents into other Mekong cooperationmechanisms and invloving development partners in CLMV meetings and projectexecution.

Thirdly,the four nations should build mid and long-term cooperation strategies to serveas foundation for their joint activities.

The 9th CLMV Summit, themed “For Greater Economic Integration andConnectivity”, leaders of the four member states affirmed their determinationto bolster collaboration to tap their economic potential, making contributionsto the development of the ASEAN bloc and ensuring inclusive and sustainabledevelopment in the region.

They expressed their hope that close cooperation will help CLMV countriesovercome formidable challenges and grasp new development opportunities.

The summit lauded efforts made by the member states in enhancing transportconnection, facilitating trade and investment, and developing human resources.Leaders of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar thanked the Vietnamese Government forgranting scholarships and practical training courses for their citizens.

The leaders reached consensus on fortifying multi-faceted connectivity amongthe four economies to realise CLMV’s targets.

On transportation, the four nations will work to build missing roads in their transportconnectivity, upgrade sections in the North-South Economic Corridor, East-WestEconomic Corridor, and South Economic Corridor, accelerate construction of the Vientiane-Hanoiexpressway, and study the feasibility of a road running through Myanmar, Laosand Vietnam.

On trade, investment and industrial cooperation, they will carry out existingagreements, organise trade and investment promotion activities, stimulateborder trade and development of e-commerce, slash trade barriers through theharmonization of standards, branch out special economic and industrial zones,build mechanisms to support small and medium enterprises, and share experiencein industrial development.

In a bid to push tourism development, the Action Plan on tourism cooperationduring 2016-2018 will be fully implemented. The four nations will createfavourable conditions for travel associations to attend regional tourism eventsas well as encourage public-private partnership in tourism and foster aviationconnectivity.

The four member nations will continue the CLMV scholarship programme financedby the Vietnamese Government during 2016-2020, study to set up a database onlabour market demand and vocational training programmes.

In agricultural cooperation, the countries will work to improve productivity,diversify agricultural products, and connect farm produce with consumptionmarket via value chains. They will also expand ties in fisheries and forestry,share good practices and promote sustainable agricultural production.  

Regarding energy sector, they will join hand for the study of the developmentof new, clean and renewable energy sources, the sustainable management and useof natural resources, including water resources, encourage the harmonisation ofelectrical technical standards, and push forward the building of commonmechanisms for electricity transmission pricing.

The countries will share knowledge and experience in building policies andregulations on developing the information and communications technology (ICT)sector, promoting ICT connectivity among them, expand cooperation in cybersecurity, and facilitate conditions for ICT enterprises.

Leaders at the summit assigned their senior officials to study measures tostreamline CLMV operational mechanism and better combine CLMV cooperation with otherMekong cooperation mechanisms.

Theycall for more proactive involvement of the business sector and developmentpartners in CLMV projects.

At the end of the summit, the leaders adopted a joint statement of the CLMV 9and agreed that Laos will be host of the CLMV 10.

The same day, PM Phuc and heads of delegations of members of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) hada working lunch with CEOs of a number of businesses in the region. Vietnamese enterprisespresent at the function were BRG, T&T, FPT, Vietjet and Hop Luccorporations.

The ACMECS membercountries are Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The8th ACMECS summit also took place in Bangkok, Thailand on June 16.-VNA