A seminar entitled “Towards a Dynamic Great Mekong Sub-region” was held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 10 as part of the Cooperation and Development Forum and the International Trade and Investment Exhibition 2009.

The region of focus during the seminar includes the countries of Vietnam , Thailand , Laos , Cambodia , Myanmar and the Chinese provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan .

At the seminar, representatives from Vietnam , Cambodia , Laos , Thailand , Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) discussed topics pertaining to the GMS including opportunities and challenges in the post-crisis period, orientations and policies to boost Japan and the RoK’s investment cooperation with the GMS and foreign investment promotion policies.

Representatives of the regional countries introduced GMS development cooperation programmes to promote a dynamic collective concentrating on improving its investment environment, infrastructure, energy and human resources.

The seminar provided a chance for investors to get access to information on GMS projects calling for investment and put forth specific programmes to boost cooperation and investment in the region, helping build a prosperous community.

Speaking at the seminar, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Van Trung said that the Vietnamese government has been building an equal business environment between domestic and foreign investors as well as consistently implementing bilateral and multilateral commitments, including the GMS cooperation.

Tadashi Kikuchi, a representative from the Japanese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City , emphasised the Mekong countries’ strengths such as abundant natural resources; hard-working and low-cost labour force and great economic potential. He said he believes in the strong development of the Japan-Mekong relationship in the coming time./.