An overview of the meeting (Source: vov.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Senior officials of the Greater Mekong Sub-region(GMS), including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, China and Vietnam, andrepresentatives from the Asia Development Bank gathered in Hanoi on March 12 todiscuss preparations for the sixth GMS Summit slated for later this month.
At the meeting, participants exchanged views on the summit’sagenda, contents of documents to be submitted to the countries’ leaders and preparationsrelated to reception, logistics and media.
GMS was established in 1992 as an initiative of the ADB. TheGMS Cooperation Programme is the most complete cooperation programme thatinvolves Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and China’s Yunnan andGuangxi provinces. The programme prioritises infrastructure development,energy, telecommunication, tourism, trade-investment, human resources, andenvironment.
To realise the common goal of turning the GMS into aprosperous, integrated and harmonious region, leaders of the GMS countriesapproved a 10-year strategic framework at the fourth GMS Summit in thePhilippines in 2011, making it a foundation for GMS cooperation orientationsfrom 2012 to 2022 to boost regional and extra-regional integration andcooperation.
Vietnam has participated actively in the GMS economiccooperation initiative since its establishment. The country’s participation hasbrought about positive results in economic development and poverty reduction.As of December 2016, cooperation projects within the GMS framework were valuedat 5.63 billion USD, of which transport accounted for 87 percent and urbandevelopment 7.9 percent.-VNA
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