Myanmar President Win Myint, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Cambodian PM Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Lao PM  Thongloun Sisoulith and ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi at CLMV-9 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’sparticipation in several regional summits – ACMECS-9, CLMV-10 and CLV-11, tobe held virtually on December 9, reflects the importance that Vietnam attaches toACMECS, CLMV and CLV cooperation.

Vietnam also re-affirms its commitment to those cooperation frameworks,which help create a favourable environment for sustainable development of each countryinvolved and the region as a whole.

ACMECS:enhancing competitiveness, narrowing development gap

The Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic CooperationStrategy (ACMECS), also known as the Economic Cooperation Strategy (ECS), is aneconomic cooperation framework that brings together Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar,Thailand and Vietnam with an aim to enhance common economic cooperation and bilateralcoordination to tap the comparative advantages of regions and member states,improve competitiveness and narrow development gap.

Set up in November 2003, the framework has so far coveredeight cooperation areas, including trade-investment, agriculture,industry-energy, transport, tourism, human resources, health care and the environmentwith eight working groups responsible for each area.

At the ACMECS-8 held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2018, leaders ofmember countries agreed to restructure the eight cooperation areas and add somenew ones towards building a competitive economy via promoting multifacetedconnectivity. In the immediate future, priority is given to building roadsalong the East-West and the Southern economic corridors, enhancing harmonisationof trade and investment regulations and procedures, developing human resourcesand technology, ensuring security as well as food and energy security, andeffectively using and managing water resources.

The 8th summit also adopted the BangkokDeclaration and the ACMECS Master Plan for the 2019-2023 period.

On the occasion, Thailand also proposed the establishment ofthe ACMECS Fund and the ACMECS Infrastructure Fund and Trust to raise capitalfor ACMECS’s projects.

CLMV:promoting integration in sub-Mekong region and ASEAN

At the ASEAN – Japan Summit held in Tokyo, Japan in December2003, leaders of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam consented to hold thefirst CLMV Summit on the occasion of the 10th ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laosin November 2004.

The CLMV cooperation mechanism covers trade-investment,agriculture, industry-energy, transport, tourism and human resourcesdevelopment.

The CLMV-1 adopted the Vientiane Declaration on enhancingeconomic cooperation and integration within Mekong sub-regional, ASEAN andregional cooperation frameworks, called on countries and internationalorganisations to boost support for the four countries to narrow development gap.

The CLMV-2 approved an Action Plan on partnering withThailand to consider the possibility of cooperation between CLMV and ACMECS toavoid overlapping and improve cooperation efficiency.

The CLMV-3 saw agreement reached on combining CLMV and ACMECSaction plans.

The CLMV-4 agreed on orientations to fostering regionalcollaboration in trade, investment, transportation, agriculture, industry,energy, tourism, human resources development and encouragement of theinvolvement of private sector and businesses in cooperation process.

The CLMV-5 passed a Joint Declaration on boosting cooperationamong four countries to narrow development gap with ASEAN member states.

The CLMV-6 agreed on major orientations, including improvingthe efficiency of coordinating joint work; facilitating trade, investment andtourism; increasing connectivity via fostering the development of economiccorridors and human resources.

The CLMV-7 vowed to strengthen trade and investmentcollaboration among four countries and build new policies on facilitating tradeand the implementation of signed bilateral and multilateral agreements.

The CLMV-8 pledged to embark on cooperation in transport,trade and investment facilitation, industry, tourism and human resourcesdevelopment.

The CLMV-9 agreed to prioritise measures to narrow the developmentgap within, especially in human resources development, high-tech agriculture,tourism and creation of a favourable business environment.

Building a sustainable and prosperous CLV Development Triangle

The CLV Development Triangle was established in 1999 covering10 provinces, namely Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Dak Nong of Vietnam; Sekong,Attapeu and Saravan of Laos and Stung Treng, Rattanak Kiri and Mondul Kiri ofCambodia.

In 2009, the three countries agreed to add Vietnam’s BinhPhuoc, Cambodia’s Kratie and Laos’ Champasak to the CLV development triangle.

Cooperation in the CLV framework focuses on security-external affairs,transport, industry, agriculture, trade, investment, social affairs andenvironment protection.

Apart from CLV Summits, the three countries also established aJoint Coordination Committee on CLV Development Triangle Area with foursub-committees on economy, socio-environment, local affairs, andsecurity-external affairs.

At the 10th CLV Summit on Development Triangle Area, leadersof the three nations lauded achievements recorded in infrastructure, tradefacilitation, maintenance of regional peace and stability, and socio-economicdevelopment.

They also adopted an Action Plan on linking the threeeconomies together till 2030.

The 10th CLV Summit, for the first time, saw theparticipation of the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and ASEAN asdevelopment partners, thereby committing to promoting cooperati🐼on anddeveloping sustainable economies./.