PM suggests balanced approach to GMS cooperation
VGP – The Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) cooperation has helped promote socio-economic development, reduce poverty and improve living standards in member countries throughout the past two decades.
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GMS leaders and ADB President Takehiko Nakao at the 5th GMS Summit, Bangkok, Thailand, December 20, 2014 - Photo: VGP |
PM Dung suggested that the GMS need to ensure the balance of economic, human and environmental aspects in its future cooperation by accelerating programs and projects on environment and human development, supporting green growth, and sharing experiences in urban and rural water management.
Sincerity and honesty are vital for the member countries to build GMS community spirit for long-term and sustainable friendship and cooperation, stressed the Vietnamese leader while calling for substantive dialogues on chances and challenges as well as similarities and differences in order to raise the effectiveness of GMS cooperation.
PM Dung took the occasion to highlight the importance of development partners and external resources for the GMS rising development requirements.
He also underlined the importance of joint efforts in protecting and using the Mekong river water resources in a sustainable manner so that the river could play a role in cementing the friendship and cooperation among the relevant countries.
The Summit approved a plan for the implementation of the Regional Investment Framework (RIF) in the 2014-2018 period, a MOU for the Establishment Regional Power Coordination Center (RPCC), a MOU for the Establishment of the Greater Mekong Railway Association (GMRA), an assessment report on regional transport strategy for 2006-2015.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang committed to granting US$5 billion to the GMS next year, mainly for poverty reduction.
China also pledged to offer US$1 billion for connectivity projects, US$10 billion for the ASEAN Development Fund and US$11 billion for 26 sub-region projects.
Established in 1992 under the initiative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the GMS cooperation program consists of Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and China’s Yunnan and Guangxi provinces.
The program’s long-term goal is creating favorable conditions for promoting mutual-benefit economic cooperation among regional countries, towards turning the GMS into a rapid and prosperous growth region in Southeast Asia.
By June 2014, the GMS carried out 75 investment projects totaling US$16 billion, including those relating to the development of transport systems, hydropower, tourism infrastructure, contributing to socio-economic development and poverty reduction in the sub-region.
Viet Nam has actively participated in GMS cooperation since the mechanism was established. By June 2014, the country joined many GMS-funded projects on transport, electricity, health care, the environment, tourism, agriculture and urban development, as well as around 130 technical assistance projects in the GMS framework.
The next GMS Summit will be held in Viet Nam in 2017./.
By Thuy Dung
