Strengthening relations within the bloc

On October 26, addressing an international press conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that Vietnam simultaneously hosted three summits, including  ACMECS 7, CLMV 8 and WEF-Mekong and achieved great success. Among these summits, the WEF-Mekong was Vietnam’s initiative.

The ACMECS 7 and CLMV 8 summits were attended by more representatives than ever before. Besides leaders of related countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, WEF’s member businesses and major enterprises in countries sharing the Mekong River, and scholars, this year Vietnam proposed to invite development partners, such as the World Bank, the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, giant groups of the World Economic Forum and other countries in the region.

Related to prominent achievements in cooperation contents attained at the three summits, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that the summits discussed measures on mobilising resources to develop and promote the potential of the Mekong region.

The summits introduced new measures such as green growth, overwhelming growth, building a society towards the people and for the people and timely respond to climate change. The summits not only discussed policies, but also gave out specific measures with many regional projects to link ACMECS and CLMV.
 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers a speech to open ACMECS 7 and CLMV 8. Photo: VNA

View of the opening ceremony of ACMECS 7 and CLMV 8. Photo: VNA

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and heads of delegations attend the opening ceremony of ACMECS 7 and CLMV 8. Photo: VNA

Delegates attend the opening ceremony of ACMECS 7 and CLMV 8. Photo: VNA

 

At CLMV8, the leaders  agreed to implement concrete measures toward a seamless regional economy so as to link their economies and markets ever closer together, such as building new routes and upgrading the North-South Economic Corridor (NSEC), the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) and the South Economic Corridor and constructing an expressway connecting Vientiane and Hanoi to facilitate the movement of goods and people between the two capitals.

At ACMECS 7, leaders approved the Hanoi Declaration with the target of turning the Mekong region into a dynamic and prosperous Mekong Sub-region with priorities to aspects of transportation, trade-investment and industry development, tourism, agriculture and the environment.

Effectively and fairly using the water resources of the Mekong River

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and heads of delegations pose for a photo at ACMECS 7. Photo: VNA

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs ACMECS 7. Photo: VNA

Plenary session of ACMECS 7. Photo: VNA

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and heads of delegations pose for a photo at CLMV 8. Photo: VNA


Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs CLMV 8. Photo: VNA

View of CLMV 8. Photo: VNA
 

One of the other important issues related to the stable development of countries in the Mekong Sub-region is the protection, management and use of the current water resources of the Mekong River.  This issue was not only discussed at ACMECS or CLMV but many other forums such as the Mekong-Japan, the Mekong-RoK, the Mekong-US and the Mekong-China.

Vu Quang Minh, Head of the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation at ACMECS7 and CLMV8, said that within ACMECS 7 and CLMV8  developing sustainably, protecting and effectively, properly and fairly using water resources of the Mekong River is an important content  which is presented in both the Joint Statement of CLMV8 and the Hanoi Declaration of ACMECS 7.
 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and heads of delegations attending WEF-Mekong pose for a photo. Photo: VNA

The opening ceremony of WEF-Mekong. Photo: VNA

The Vietnamese Prime Minister opens WEF-Mekong. Photo: VNA

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends the dialogue of WEF-Mekong. Photo: VNA


Delegates attend WEF-Mekong. Photo: VNA
 

The commitments in these two important documents set forth orientation for countries to build their development plans as well as develop cooperation projects among other countries, affirm the strengthening of cooperation among other countries in using the natural resources of the Mekong River and pledge to reach the goal of sustainable development.

CLMV and ACMECS are two cooperation mechanisms among countries in the Mekong Sub-region. These mechanisms aim at narrowing the development gap among ASEAN member countries, increasing competitiveness for member economies, promoting the growth rate and regional economic integration and support for the construction of the ASEAN Community. CLMV focuses on six fields, including trade-investment, human resources development, agriculture, industry, transportation and tourism. Vietnam acts as coordinator  in the two fields of trade and investment and human resources development. Vietnam acts as a coordinator in many fields in both CLMV and ACMECS frameworks and has implemented many practical activities helping promote comprehensive cooperation among countries. ACMECS focuses on eight key sectors of trade-investment, agriculture, industry-energy, transport, tourism, human resources, healthcare, and the environment. At this mechanism, Vietnam acts a coordinator in cooperation on developing human resources, and on industry and energy. Vietnam and Cambodia work as coordinators of environment cooperation.

By VNA/VNP