Regional leaders join first World Economic Forum on Mekong

Government leaders of Laos, Campuchia, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam underline the importance and need to cooperate for the development of the whole Mekong region. Photo: VGP

In his opening remarks, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc underlined the role and importance of the Mekong region as well as its great potential.

He urged the regional countries to speed up economic and infrastructure connectivity, complete sub-regional economic corridors, and enhance cooperation in order to facilitate trade, investment and tourism.

The region needs to give priority to foster innovation to improve productivity, embrace opportunities from the 4^th industrial revolution, and strengthen cooperation to realize sustainable development goals, including sustainable use of the Mekong water resources.

The Government of Viet Nam vows to continue accelerating the reforms of its business environment while enhancing public-private partnership for for sustainable development of the country as well as for the whole region.

President of Myanmar Htin Kyaw believed that regional cooperation and integration plays a critical role in accelerating economic growth, reducing poverty and economic disparity, raising productivity and in seeking solutions to the global issues with the consolidated efforts of all countries involved.

Political will is an important driver for regional economic cooperation and integration as this can be handled better with strong political leadership, the Myanmar President emphasized.

Cambodian PM Hunsen pointed out potential and advantages that would help the Mekong region to form a dynamic production network.

To realize this, “the five countries must first focus on maintaining regional peace and stability, which is the most important priority, and to join hands in addressing key bottlenecks to our regional competitiveness by focusing particularly on physical infrastructure, energy and digital connectivity free and effective movement of trade and investments as well as the development of human capital,” said PM Hunsen.

He suggested that cross border cooperation such as strengthening regional supply and value chains, and cross border special economic ones are the “key starting points”.

Meanwhile, Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith called on the Mekong countries to further enhance cooperation toward greater regional economic integration among themselves and integration with ASEAN and outside the region.

Another aspect of cooperation is to simplify cross-border procedures, in terms of customs, border-crossing, and goods in transit among others to facilitate the movements of goods.

Thai Lan’s Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak placed emphasis on deeper economic integration by committing to the removal of all trade barriers from border trade to the sub-regional and regional levels.

The seamless and comprehensive connectivity, both hardware and software, will serve as a solid foundation and platform for sustainable development and inclusiveness, a prerequisite for long-term promotion of regional economic integration, according to the Thai Deputy PM./.

By Hai Minh