(VOVworld) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is in Laos to attend the 6^th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam summit, CLMV 6, and the 5^th Ayawadi-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit, ACMECS 5. He also chairs the 7th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Summit, CLV 7. Through these events, Vietnam wants to affirm its determination to boost cooperation in trade and investment, develop human resources, and consolidate relations with regional countries. VOV’s Anh Huyen comments.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung (Photo: VNA)

There’s a big GDP gap between the group of countries that includes Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines and the smaller group of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. There’s also a big difference in the market scope and the structure of economic sectors of different ASEAN countries. This development gap is the single biggest hurdle for ASEAN’s future growth, especially when the bloc must complete its target to build a community in the next two years. At a meeting among the Prime Ministers of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in Vientiane in 1999, a tripartite cooperation initiative was created to strengthen solidarity and socio-economic cooperation and maintain security in the border areas of the three countries.  The establishment of a cooperative mechanism for these countries aims to bridge the development gap between these four and the rest of ASEAN.

On top of 200 projects being carried out in infrastructure development, transportation, IT, telecommunications, and human resources development, the four nations have gained many achievements in poverty reduction, environment improvement, and boosting inter-bloc tourism. But they need to integrate even further. The CLMV 6 will review the implementation of action plans over the past two years and discuss specific cooperation fields. Vietnam has participated in activities in this cooperative mechanism, played a key role in developing annual CLMV action plans, and proposed initiatives to strengthen cooperation efficiency. In 2013 and 2014, Vietnam will serve as president of the ASEAN Tourism Marketing and Communications Working Group. In addition to promoting tourism, Vietnam will work with other countries on policies to encourage visitors to travel in the East West economic Corridor, minimize administrative procedures, and apply high-tech in the control of international border crossings, airports, and seaports. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Administration of Tourism, said ‘each locality should tap its potential to develop its tourism brand. For example, with a lot of historical relics left by the wars, the central province of Quang Tri should focus on this point, create tourism highlights, and design a roadmap for implementing the plan. We should also develop an inter-region tourism product by increasing cooperation and reducing administrative procedures.’

Together with the Prime Ministers of Laos and Cambodia, Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Tan Dung chaired a development triangle summit. Dang Xuan Quang, Deputy Director of the Foreign Investment Department of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, noted ‘it’s obvious that the infrastructure of the triangle can’t meet the needs of investment attraction in the near future. The coordination of policies of the three countries will surely boost investment. Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia should reach a consensus on a legal framework and a joint action plan. ’

Mr. Dung, whose visit aims to tighten the traditional friendship, solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with Laos, will visit several provinces in northern Laos.

Anh Huyen