Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and delegates of Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

In his address at the 9th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit (ACMECS 9), Mr Phuc emphasized that over 17 years of establishment and development, the Strategy has affirmed its own identity and important cooperation mechanism for the Mekong sub-region.

He proposed that to ensure seamless and harmonious connectivity, the five Mekong countries promote trade and transport along the East-West economic corridor and the Southern economic corridor, connect the corridors with major industrial and economic centers, develop transport infrastructure systems in the border area, encourage air, road, and railway connections between cities, cultural heritages and natural wonders of the region, and study, formulate and sign an agreement on coastal transport between member countries.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc repeated the importance of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy. He said, “I believe that given the determination and efforts of 5 member countries, our cooperation will grow stronger and stronger for the sake of peace, stability and common prosperity of our region. We welcome and support the ACMECS Secretariat, and wish to have many partners to develop the region together with ACMECS countries.”

At the end of the Summit, countries ratified the Phnom Penh Declaration. The Prime Minister of Cambodia handed over the ACMECS rotating chairmanship to the Prime Minister of Laos.

Also on Wednesday morning, the 10^th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Summit, themed “Enhancing effective connectivity for regional integration,” discussed the future direction of CLMV cooperation

Speaking at the Summit, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc outlined 3 priorities for cooperation. He said, “First, I welcome the completion of the "CLMV Development Framework" with a multi-sector cooperation orientation, aiming to build the CLMV region into a center of development reaching high middle income level by 2030."

"Second, efforts should be made to promote policy connection to effectively complement ASEAN's regional integration process, promote the advantages of cooperation, and prepare for signing additional Memorandum of Understanding, creating favorable conditions for enterprises of the four countries to invest in each other's market and strengthening IT connection to encourage e-commerce and socio-cultural exchanges," Mr. Phuc said. 

"Third, linkages must be strengthened to improve production capacity of agricultural processing and export, and form regional agricultural production and supply chains. Vietnam wishes to promote cooperation with Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar,” according to the Vietnamese Prime Minister. 

Leaders of the four countries approved three documents including the Joint Statement of the Summit, the document " CLMV Development Framework" and the list of 16 priority projects of cooperation. They also agreed that Myanmar will host the 11th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Summit.