Economic ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam pose for a photo at their 11th meeting inBangkok on September 5

The event, held within the framework of the 51stASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings in Bangkok fromSeptember 3 to 10, attracted Secretary of State at the Cambodian Ministry ofCommerce Sok Sopheak, Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Khemmani Pholsena,Myanmar Minister of Investment and External Economic Relations Thaung Tun, and VietnameseMinister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, along with representatives of theASEAN Secretariat.

In his speech, the Vietnamese ministerunderlined the role and significance of the CLMV cooperation mechanism inenhancing the countries’ economic and trade ties, engaging the countries inregional value chains, and helping narrow their development gap with theremaining members of ASEAN.

He called on the four countries to continuecoordinating their efforts and resources to boost connectivity in transportinfrastructure, trade and logistics; supporting one another to carry out trade,investment and tourism promotion activities; working together to facilitatetrade and transportation; and enhancing cooperation and consultation among themselvesto have common voices to protect their interests in regional and Mekongsub-regional cooperation mechanisms.

Minister Anh also thanked the ASEAN Secretariatfor its active assistance and asked it to continue helping coordinate CLMVcooperation activities and connect CLMV programmes and projects with ASEAN’sdevelopment partners and dialogue partners.

At the meeting, the ministers applauded theoutcomes of the implementation of the CLMV action plans for 2017-2018 and2019-2020. 

They noted under the plan for 2017-2018,cooperation to carry out annual trade promotion activities like fairs and exposhas helped fuel trade and connect businesses of the CLMV. 

These activities should be maintained andenterprises of the countries further encouraged to take part in, they said,adding that it is also necessary to organise forums to introduce investment andbusiness chances in the CLMV.

Regarding human resources development, theofficials appreciated Vietnam’s annual provision of scholarships for studentsof Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar while recognising the effectiveness of theinternship programme at the ASEAN Secretariat in improving the capacity andskills for the CLMV governments’ staff. They also called on the ASEANSecretariat to continue seeking development partners to supply funding so thatmore staff members of the CLMV governments can join in this programme.

Apart from annual cooperation activities liketrade fairs and scholarship provision, the CLMV Action Plan for 2019-2020 hasalso supplemented some activities to assist the four nations to realiseregional commitments; included projects supporting micro-, small- and medium-sizedenterprises; and updated on the building progress of a framework for the CLMVdevelopment.

Concluding the meeting, the ministers affirmedthat they will work closely together to successfully carry out the CLMV actionplans and effectively implement the CLMV development framework in the years tocome.

They also asked the ASEAN Secretariat tocontinue helping their countries call on development partners to support theCLMV cooperation mechanism and build an implementation plan for the CLMVdevelopment framework after it is approved by the countries’ leaders.-VNA