The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Senior Officials’ Meeting convened in Hanoi on March 29 in preparation for the upcoming sixth GMS Summit (GMS-6) on March 31 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Greater MekongSubregion (GMS) Senior Officials’ Meeting convened in Hanoi on March 29 inpreparation for the upcoming sixth GMS Summit (GMS-6) on March 31.
The meeting was chaired by the host Vietnam andthe Asian Development Bank (ADB) with the participation of representatives fromCambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
[PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs rehearsal for GMS-6, CLV-10]
Senior officials reviewed the last-minutepreparation work and finalised draft documents for submission to GMS leaders.
Participating countries highly valued Vietnam’scoordination and preparation for the GMS-6.
They mulled over cooperation strategies intransport, tourism, agriculture and environment.
Reports on the 25-year cooperation of GMS andGMS e-commerce cooperation will be recorded at the GMS-6.
The host Vietnam thanked GMS member countriesand the ADB for their effective support and close coordination during thepreparation for the GMS-6.
Senior officials from Cambodia, China, Laos,Myanmar and Thailand highly evaluated the careful preparation of Vietnam andwelcomed the host’s initiatives.
They expressed their belief that the GMS-6 willbe a success.
The GMS-6 and CLV-10 taking place on March 29-31are among the biggest multilateral events hosted by Vietnam this year.
About 2,000 delegates are expected to attend theevents, including GMS leaders, and representatives from internationalorganisations such as the President of the ADB, the Director General of theWorld Bank (WB), ASEAN Secretary General and representatives of the AsianInfrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Japan International CooperationAgency (JICA), among others.
Vietnam hosting the two events continues toaffirm the country’s increasing position, as well as its role and contributionsto regional cooperation mechanisms. This is an opportunity for regional leadersto discuss issues of shared concern on boosting investment cooperation, trade,ensuring security and using Mekong River water sustainably. It is also a chancefor Vietnam to increase cooperation and connectivity, serving the country’ssocio-economic development.
The sixth Greater Mekong Sub-region Summit,themed “Leveraging 25 years of cooperation, Building an integrated, sustainableand prosperous GMS aims to celebrate the 25th founding anniversary of the GMSProgramme and define cooperation orientations to build a region of prosperity,integration and sustainable development.
GMS wasestablished in 1992 as an initiative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). TheGMS Programme is the most complete cooperation programme that involves Vietnam,Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and China’s Yunnan and Guangxi provinces.
Meanwhile,the CLV-10 aims to review the implementation of the Master Plan forSocio-Economic Development of the CLV Development Triangle Area for 2010-2020and discuss cooperation orientations in the coming time, especially seeking toincrease the trilateral economic connectivity.
The CLV Development Triangle Area wasestablished in 1999, covering Vietnam’s Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nongprovinces; Laos’ Sekong, Attapeu and Saravan provinces; and Cambodia’s StungTreng, Rattanak Kiri, and Mondul Kiri. In 2009, the three countries agreed toadd Vietnam’s Binh Phuoc province, Cambodia’s Kratie province, and Laos’ Champasakprovince to the area.-VNA
Source: VNA 
