Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the central role of ACMECS in Mekong sub-regional cooperation, as an indispensable component of the ASEAN Community, a gateway connecting ASEAN with Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia.
According to a special correspondent of the Vietnam News Agency, on the afternoon of November 7, in Kunming city, Yunnan province (China), the 10th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit (ACMECS) with the theme "Towards seamless connectivity for an integrated Mekong sub-region" was held with the participation of heads of government and delegations from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
At the invitation of Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone - Chairman of the Conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend the Conference.
At the Conference, leaders emphasized the important contributions of ACMECS cooperation in socio-economic development and improving the lives of people in the Mekong sub-region.
ACMECS also contributes significantly to narrowing the development gap and promoting connectivity within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The leaders welcomed important progress in implementing the ACMECS Master Plan for 2019-2023, especially in trade-investment cooperation, tourism, support for small and medium enterprises, and human resource development.
The leaders also appreciated the positive results in cooperation between ACMECS and development partners, the establishment of the ACMECS Development Fund and the Interim Secretariat, and the construction of the cooperation's logo and official website.
The leaders assessed that the complex and unpredictable fluctuations in the world are putting the Mekong sub-region in general and ACMECS cooperation in particular in front of multi-dimensional challenges of economic instability, supply chain disruption, energy security, water security, climate change, and natural disasters.
To effectively respond to challenges and seize new opportunities, the leaders agreed to persistently promote balanced, inclusive and sustainable development, strengthen cooperation with other Mekong sub-regional cooperation mechanisms, and jointly build an ACMECS Community of “Solidarity, Strength and Sustainability.”
ACMECS will continue to promote cooperation in transport connectivity, digital infrastructure development, trade facilitation to turn the Mekong sub-region into a regional logistics hub; at the same time, focus on developing high-quality human resources, digital transformation, and green transformation.
Mekong water resources cooperation was highlighted at this conference. The five leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in sustainable management of transboundary water resources, especially in coordination with the Mekong River Commission; share hydrological data; and build an early warning system for natural disasters.
The conference adopted the Concept Paper on Water Resources Management in the Mekong Subregion with the aim of enhancing strategic coordination among members in responding to short- and long-term challenges.
Speaking at the Conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the central role of ACMECS in Mekong sub-regional cooperation, as an indispensable component of the ASEAN Community, a gateway connecting ASEAN with Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and a bridge between the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Believing that over the past 20 years of formation and development, ACMECS cooperation has achieved outstanding achievements, contributing to promoting socio-economic development in each member country and implementing the ASEAN Community Vision, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam will continue to actively, proactively and creatively participate in the ACMECS development process, striving to build "a strong ACMECS for an ASEAN of solidarity, unity in diversity and equal development."
According to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the world is entering an era of innovation, opening up new opportunities that are of key significance for the development of each country as well as the entire sub-region.
This is the time when ACMECS needs to define a new mission for itself, which is to work together to build a community of united, strong and sustainably developed Mekong countries.
ACMECS cooperation in the coming period needs to converge on the spirit of “5 commons”: common aspiration, common vision, common determination, common voice and common action. With this viewpoint, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh proposed 6 contents for ACMECS cooperation to make a breakthrough in the coming period, including:
One is thinking and action, ensuring continuity from strategy development to actual implementation. Cooperation plans and programs need to be substantial, focused, and key, avoiding dispersion, closely following the development needs of member countries, while being highly feasible and consistent with the ability to mobilize resources.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced that Vietnam will contribute 10 million USD to the ACMECS Development Fund.
Two is Tradition is linked with modernity, ensuring synchronous and harmonious development between traditional economic sectors and new and modern technological sectors.
On the one hand, ACMECS needs to support member countries to renew traditional growth drivers, promote investment, consumption and trade. On the other hand, ACMECS needs to promote new growth drivers to help member countries seize new opportunities and participate more deeply in regional and global value chains.
It is necessary to prioritize comprehensive and extensive digital transformation through mobilizing capital for investment in infrastructure and digital services; supporting start-ups and innovation; applying digital technology to the manufacturing and processing industry, information and communications, finance, banking, digital customs, and smart border gates.
Three is Rapid growth linked to sustainability with a focus on promoting green transformation, building a circular economy and a sharing economy.
Faced with the urgent need to respond to climate change and promote sustainable development in the sub-region, ACMECS' top priority is to attract green finance for the development of green industry, clean agriculture, and low-emission transport and communications.
In addition, it is necessary to promote cooperation among the five countries in the management and sustainable use of Mekong River water resources; share ideas on promoting cooperation between ACMECS and development partners to transfer technology and improve capacity in the sustainable use and management of transboundary water resources, especially the ability to share real-time hydrological data.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that ACMECS members promote solidarity and political trust, increase information sharing, and consult each other on plans and projects related to Mekong River water resources; enhance cooperation in disaster management through capacity building projects, build an early warning system among Mekong countries, and develop resilient infrastructure.
Four is To connect the region and the world, it is necessary to facilitate the circulation of goods, services and people's travel between the five countries; promote the simplification and harmonization of procedures, focus on developing transport infrastructure to connect intra-regionally and inter-regionally, especially the railway and highway systems.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that the five countries step up information sharing and coordination in the process of building economic development plans and policies to increase mutual complementarity and spread benefits; and persuade development partners to invest together with ACMECS to ensure “smooth connectivity for an integrated Mekong sub-region.”
Five is, Connecting the Government with the people and businesses. With the view that resources come from thinking, motivation comes from innovation, strength comes from people and businesses, it is recommended that all strategies, action plans and projects of ACMECS need to take people and businesses as the center, subject, goal and driving force, bringing practical and inclusive benefits and leaving no one behind.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh proposed assigning ministers, senior officials and the ACMECS Interim Secretariat to develop the next phase of the ACMECS Master Plan, focusing on inclusiveness with projects for people, especially in remote areas, and supporting businesses to participate in regional and global supply chains.
Six is linking development with maintaining stability and ensuring security. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh proposed that ACMECS strengthen cooperation in combating cross-border crimes, especially drug crimes and cyber crimes, and not allow criminals to use the territory of one country to fight another.
The comments and proposals of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh were highly appreciated by the Conference and reflected in the Conference's documents.
At the end of the Conference, the leaders adopted the Vientiane Declaration and witnessed the transfer of the ACMECS Chairmanship role between Laos and Myanmar./.
Source
Comment (0)