ACMECS Summit leaders to create development fund

Regional leaders discussed the progress of preparations for the establishment of a development fund at the 9th ACMECS Summit on December 9, which took place by video link.
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and his delegation joined leaders from Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam at the 9th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit, which was hosted by Cambodia.
The meeting also reviewed progress in the implementation of the Bangkok Declaration agreed to at the 8th ACMECS Summit and the Master Plan for 2019-2023.

Fundraising from development partners, including Japan, S. Korea, China, US, India and Australia, was sought by ACMECS to support socio-economic development, land transport links, and green and sustainable development.
The meeting also discussed cooperation on the socio-economic recovery of the region during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in the commercial and tourism sectors.
In addition, participants adopted the Summit’s Phnom Penh Declaration, the role of the ACMECS development fund, mechanisms for the work of the coordinating committee, and priority projects to serve as the basis for implementation of the master plan.
Cambodia’s chairmanship of ACMECS ends this year and will pass to Laos For the next two years.After attending the 9th ACMECS Summit, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith chaired the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) Summit via video conference.
 This was attended by the countries’ leaders and the Secretary-General of Asean.The 10th CLMV Summit took the theme “Enhancing Effective Connectivity for Regional Integration”.
Leaders reviewed the results of the implementation of the Joint Statement adopted by the 9th CLMV Summit and the CLMV action plan for 2019-2020, in particular the commitment to enhance regional integration.
This included upgrading and developing technology infrastructure for East-West economic development, southern economies and expressways.
The meeting adopted the Joint Statement of the 10th CLMV Summit and the CLMV priority programmes as a basic document for the direction of cooperation in the future.
Myanmar will assume chairmanship of the CLMV for the next two years.Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith also chaired the 11th CLV summit, attended by leaders from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
The meeting reviewed the results of past cooperation, the Joint Statement of the 10th Summit, the socio-economic development plan for the CLV development triangle area, CLV economic integration action plan to 2030, and ways to support and facilitate trade between the three countries.
Longstanding com-prehensive cooperation has helped to drive socio-economic development and poverty alleviation.
The three countries engage in cooperation in the areas of transportation, telecommunications, energy, trade, investment, industry, finance and banking, agriculture, tourism, health, culture, labour, education, environment, and science and technology.
The meeting adopted the Joint Statement of the 11th CLV Summit as a basic document for the formulation of socio-economic development plans for the CLV development triangle area until 2030.
A tourism development plan for the CLV development triangle area and a plan for the sustainable development of the rubber industry development were also adopted.
The next CLV development triangle summit will be held in 2022 under the chairmanship of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update December 10, 2020)