The annual event was held by the Vietnam Academyof Social Sciences (VASS), the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC), and the LaoAcademy of Social Sciences (LASS).
Nguyen Xuan Thang, Director of the Ho Chi MinhNational Academy of Politics, said the seminar is an occasion for scientists toshare information about current and issues affecting development in the threecountries, the region, and the world. It is also important for its role inenhancing cooperation amongst the three academies.
VASS Vice President Bui Nhat Quang said Vietnam,Cambodia, and Laos have always stood side-by-side and closely cooperated withone another in the fight for national independence in the past, as well as themore recent process of nation building and defence. Their economic, cultural,social, political, and security ties have been strongly promoted and are nowcloser than ever.
Quang added that over the last three decades,the countries have gained major achievements in socio-economic development.They have set up a development triangle, actively engaged in regional andinternational cooperation mechanisms, and played an important role in liftingcooperation in the Mekong sub-region, the ASEAN Community, and many other connectionsin Southeast Asia to a new level.
Kyseryvath, Deputy Director of the RAC’sInstitute of Humanities and Social Sciences, said that economic developmentthrough regional economic integration, particularly in the Greater MekongSub-region (GMS), is mainly driven by the harmonisation of international trade.
The GMS economic cooperation programme –launched in 1992 by Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam –aims to enhance economic partnership in the GMS and amongst member nations withthe support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), he noted.
Meanwhile, Director of Laos’ National EconomicResearch Institute Feuangsy Laofoung said that economic expansion is importantin the current era of development and integration. This new period requests thethree countries to bolster sustainable economic links for the sake of eachnation and a strong, stable, and sustainable ASEAN economic community.
Echoing this, Director of the VASS’s Institutefor Southeast Asian Studies Nguyen Huy Hoang affirmed that the trilateraleconomic relations have enjoyed great strides over the past years.
He elaborated that they have assisted oneanother very much in regional and international integration. Their economicties have helped foster trade and investment in ASEAN.
To boost the effectiveness of these economicpartnerships, the countries’ governments should promote measures supportingbusiness activities, maintain dialogue among their agencies, accelerate thefinalisation of agreements relating to trade and investment, and encourage alleconomic sectors to take part in trade and investment activities within thethree nations, Hoang suggested.–VNA