This is the 2^nd time Vietnam has hosted these events, whose success is of great importance to Vietnam’s politics, security, economics, and culture and will benefit all countries of the Mekong Sub-region.

Contributing to the agenda

Following Vietnam’s proposals, the CLMV-8 is themed “Seizing opportunities, shaping the future”, the ACMECS 7 has the theme “Towards a dynamic and prosperous Mekong sub-region” and “Seeking consensus, regional leaders share vision on the Mekong” is the theme of the WEF-Mekong. These themes reflect the common goal of building a peaceful and prosperous Mekong Sub-region, highlight Mekong countries’ dynamism and ability to seize opportunities respond to the need to innovate and find new ways to boost cooperation. Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy said: “Hosting this event, we have made several suggestions. We have invited the World Economic Forum to organize the World Economic Forum on the Mekong for the first time to strengthen links between enterprises and leaders and policy makers. We hope countries will grow closer through the specific projects of this event”.

The event assembles the 100-plus economic groups and enterprises of the World Economic Forum, and the 60 economic groups of the Mekong Sub-region. It creates an opportunity to promote the potential of the Mekong region to international enterprises, attract investment for infrastructure and human resource development and increase links in the region.

Vietnam has advised ACMECS and CLMV members on ways to strengthen coordination in implementing the UN 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

Towards a dynamic, prosperous Sub-Mekong region

Established in 2003, the CLMV and ACMECS have become important cooperation mechanisms to promote the potential of Mekong countries.

Over the past 13 years, the CLMV and ACMECS cooperation mechanism have contributed to peace, stability, trade, and investment cooperation between Mekong countries and narrowing development gaps in ASEAN. Thanks to extensive economic reform and efforts in trade liberalization and facilitation, the Mekong region has become a dynamic region and a driver of ASEAN’s development. Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy said: “As two of the 12 cooperation mechanisms in the Mekong Sub-region, the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong economic cooperation and the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam collaboration are important to intra-regional strength. The mechanisms have created an opportunity for intra-regional countries to share their concerns and obstacles that need to be addressed. The regional countries play an important role in ASEAN”.

Since it joined CLMV and ACMECS, Vietnam has made an all-out effort to support the mechanisms. With strength in economic models and experience in development, reform and international integration, Vietnam has proposed initiatives and contributed resources to infrastructure connectivity among the four countries to human resources development and to the sustainable exploitation of natural resources in each nation. At the same time, Vietnam has strived toward goals set in the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong economic cooperation strategy to tap potential, promote sustainable development and raise the attractiveness of ASEAN.

In the new development period of the Sub-Mekong region, the CLMV and ACMECs mechanisms will play an important role in helping regional countries to overcome challenges, improve competitiveness, and seize development opportunities. As the host of these events, Vietnam aims to work closely with other member countries to strengthen these cooperation mechanisms.

Huyen Hien-VOV