Vietnam set to enhance cooperation with Mekong countries

Vietnam set to enhance cooperation with Mekong countries 

Tuoi Tre News | 25 October 2016

High-ranking officials from countries in the Mekong sub-region, including Vietnam, have agreed to strengthen mutual co-operation in preparation for upcoming international summits.

The senior officials’ meetings (SOM) for the upcoming Cambodia- Laos- Myanmar- Vietnam (CLMV) Summit and the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) were convened in Hanoi on Monday.

According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the main focus of the SOM CLMC is on the cooperation between member nations in six prioritized fields, namely trade and investment, human resources development, agriculture, industry, traffic, and tourism.

High-ranking officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, which are the four Mekong sub-region countries, discussed measures to boost effective cooperation and deal with the difficulties in the execution of joint projects.

During the ACMECS SOM, the delegates reviewed the ACMECS Action Program for the 2016-18 period, approved during last year’s summit, which is aimed at providing favorable conditions for trade and investment, traffic, industry, tourism, human resources, healthcare, and environmental protection.

The 8^th CLMV Summit and 7^th ACMECS are scheduled to officially take place on Wednesday under the theme of developing an active and prosperous Mekong Delta sub-region.

The events will be attended by the Myanmarese President, Prime Ministers of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam and the Thai Deputy Premier in charge of economic affairs.

The series of international diplomatic events in the Vietnamese capital will also include the World Economic Forum on the Mekong (WEF- Mekong), whose goal is to introduce regional economic potential to the member states of the WEF, and connect businesses with leaders of the Mekong sub-region nations.

The WEF- Mekong, organized in Hanoi on Tuesday, is expected to be an opportunity for Vietnam to promote itself to international friends and attract foreign investment.

Of about 160 businesses in attendance, 100 are members of the WEF, while the others are from the four Mekong sub-region countries.