Senior officials prepare for regional summits in Hanoi

Hanoi (VNA) - Senior officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam met in Hanoi on October 24 for their Senior Official Meetings (SOMs).

The SOMs were held to prepare for the 8th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Summit (CLMV 8) and the 7th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit (ACMECS 7), which will take place in Hanoi on October 26.

Participants to the SOMs reviewed the implementation of six prioritised fields for cooperation within CLMV countries, and eight priotised areas in the ACMECS Action Plan in 2016-2018 approved at the last year summit.

They also discussed ways to boost cooperation and address difficulties in implementing joint projects and how to mobilise resources for prioritised cooperation projects among the countries.

The SOMs agreed on recommendations to expand trade and investment links among the countries, towards facilitating the exchange of goods and services in the region, developing transnational economic corridors, improving productivity and competitiveness of labour force, and in managing and developing common water resources in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) in a sustainable manner.

The meetings reached agreement on the agenda for both summits and draft documents that will be adopted at the summits.

Senior officials of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar spoke highly of Vietnam’s thorough preparation and initiatives for the summits, expressing their belief in the events’ success.

As scheduled, the CLMV 8 will focus on opportunities and challenges for the economic development of the four countries and measures to boost their cooperation in improving competitiveness and promoting regional integration.

Meanwhile, the ACMECS 7 will discuss how to step up cooperation among ACMECS member countries for sustainable development and narrow development gaps in the Mekong sub-region.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will chair both events./.