Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung arrived in Hanoi on Dec. 21, successfully wrapping up his official visit to Myanmar and his participation at the fourth Greater Mekong Sub-region Summit (GMS 4).

According to Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh, PM Dung’s trip made positive contributions to strengthening the fine relations between Vietnam and Myanmar , as well as boosting cooperation and friendship with regional countries.

Addressing GMS 4, PM Dung emphasised the need to attract investment for infrastructure development, consolidate and complete cooperative sub-regional institutions, as well as boost coordination between concerned parties and between the government and private sector in developing economic corridors.

PM Dung called for sustainable use of water resources from the Mekong River for the common development of the region, especially at a time when natural disasters have caused great losses to sub-regional countries.

To ensure capital sources for cooperative sub-regional activities, the governments of GMS countries should have effective measures to attract capital from international organisations and development partners, as well as ensuring a fair playing field and an effective business environment, along with a legal framework for private investment utilisation, he said.

The summit approved a GMS Strategic Framework for the 2012-2022 period which serves as a foundation and orientation for economic cooperation in the region.

The leaders ratified the second phase of a cooperative framework between 2012-2016 of the Core Environment Programme; new vision and common strategy for the Core Agricultural Support Programme for the 2011-2015 period and the Strategy and Roadmap of GMS Tourism for the 2011-2015 period.

The Vietnamese PM also held talks with Myanmar President Thein Sein.

The two sides agreed to boost cooperation in trade and investment, with two-way trade expected to reach 500 million USD in 2015.

The two leaders affirmed their resolve to bring bilateral relations to a new height in a more practical and effective manner and agreed to continue prioritising 12 fields identified in the joint statement issued in April, 2010.

They will assign relevant ministers to draw up cooperative projects in areas of the two sides’ strengths.

They also reached consensus on coordinating with relevant countries in utilising Mekong River water. They voiced their support for the strict and full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards the building of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea , for peace, stability and maritime security and safety in the region.

Following the talks, PM Dung and President Thein Sein witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agricultural and rural development between the two countries’ agriculture ministries and a MoU on non-refundable technical aid worth 250,000 USD between the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam for the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Myanmar./.