A Vietnamese delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son attended the 2nd Vice Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) in Savannakhet province, Laos on May 16.

The event also saw the participation of Vice Foreign Ministers of Laos and Thailand, leaders of Vietnamese, Lao and Thai provinces sharing the corridor and representatives from the Japanese Embassy in Laos, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Asia Development Bank (ADB). Myanmar attended the meeting for the first time as a member of the cooperation mechanism.

The event focused on reviewing the implementation of tasks and measures issued during the first meeting in Vietnam’s central Quang Tri province last year and discussed cooperation orientations in the coming time.

It also recognised progress in building EWEC infrastructure, facilitating goods transport along the corridor, implementing the “one door - one stop” model at Lao Bao-Densavanh and Savannakhet–Mukdahan border gates, and boosting cooperation among localities along the corridor.

Besides, the meeting clarified difficulties and challenges that the countries need to jointly handle, particularly in approving and fully carrying out the Greater Mekong Sub-region Cross-Border Transport Agreement.

Addressing the event, Vice Minister Ho Xuan Son emphasised the importance of EWEC for the socio-economic development of regional countries while affirming the Vietnamese Government’s special attention to the corridor’s development.

He expressed his hope that regional countries will work closely with one another to solve difficulties.

To promote the development of EWEC, Son presented concrete proposals which were recorded in the joint statement, especially measures to attract investment, boost trade and tourism, intensify the participation of the private sector and perfect cooperation mechanisms among countries.

The 3rd Vice Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on EWEC will be held in Thailand next year.-VNA