Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that only solidarity and cooperation can help the four CLMV countries overcome difficulties and together build a dynamic and sustainably developed CLMV region.
According to a special correspondent of the Vietnam News Agency, on the afternoon of November 7, in Kunming city, Yunnan province (China), the 11th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) Summit took place with the participation of heads of government/heads of delegations of CLMV countries and the Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend the conference.
The conference acknowledged the remarkable achievements of the four countries after two decades of cooperation; rising to become dynamic, integrated economies, increasingly improving people's lives, thereby narrowing the development gap.
CLMV's economic growth has consistently been high in the region, forecast to reach 4.6% in 2024 and 4.7% in 2025.
The total two-way trade turnover of the four countries reached over 769 billion USD, contributing 21.8% of ASEAN's total trade value.
The conference emphasized that the achievements were thanks in large part to the determination of member countries, the contribution of CLMV cooperation and the support of ASEAN and development partners.
CLMV leaders affirmed their shared aspiration to build a peaceful and prosperous sub-region and realize the goal of becoming upper-middle-income countries by 2030.
With the theme “Promoting friendship and solidarity for a resilient and prosperous community,” the Conference set out major orientations to promote the potential of members, seize opportunities from new development trends, become the leading attractive investment destination in the region, and create a breakthrough for CLMV cooperation.
The conference agreed to promote cooperation in the fields of hard and soft infrastructure connectivity, trade and investment facilitation, tourism, human resource development, and development of the intra-bloc energy market.
The conference also agreed to strengthen cooperation in sustainable and effective water resource management, enhance smart agricultural production capacity, and sustainable energy transition.
The leaders appreciated the role of ASEAN, especially the ASEAN Secretariat, in supporting sub-regional cooperation.
During the 2021-2025 period, ASEAN has mobilized more than 19 million USD in funding for CLMV countries on trade facilitation, support for small and medium enterprises, industrial development, and green growth.
The Leaders proposed that ASEAN, together with development partners, continue to support the four countries in implementing the CLMV Development Framework to narrow the development gap and promote sustainable and inclusive development in the Mekong sub-region.
Speaking at the Conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assessed that CLMV countries are facing unprecedented advantages as the world is entering an era of connectivity and innovation.
However, the four countries face many difficulties and challenges in terms of capital and human resources as well as the risk of falling behind if they do not innovate promptly.
In that context, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the need to create a breakthrough for CLMV cooperation to catch up, progress together and rise up on the basis of promoting internal strength combined with external strength; only solidarity and cooperation can help the four CLMV countries overcome difficulties and together build a dynamic and sustainably developing CLMV region.
With that spirit, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh proposed the "3 together" motto in the direction of CLMV cooperation in the coming time.
Firstly, a new determination to strengthen and build increasingly effective and substantive CLMV cooperation towards a developed, self-reliant and highly competitive CLMV economic region.
CLMV countries need to be more determined in implementing the CLMV Development Framework and focus on implementing priority projects with high significance.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also hopes that ASEAN will pay more attention and promote its central role in Mekong sub-regional cooperation, including the CLMV mechanism.
Second, the new focus is through selecting highly feasible cooperation areas that are in line with new trends and effectively complement other Mekong sub-regional mechanisms, especially ACMECS and GMS.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that building a high-quality workforce is a central task and the foundation for the transformation of CLMV cooperation. This is a feasible factor to promote all areas of CLMV cooperation.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh proposed assigning experts from the four countries to develop a comprehensive strategy for human resource development in CLMV, combining training of intellectuals with skilled workers.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam will maintain the CLMV scholarship program to receive students from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to study and research in Vietnam. This program was initiated and sponsored by Vietnam since the 4th CLMV Summit in November 2008.
Third, new resources with internal resources being fundamental, long-term, and decisive and external resources being important and breakthrough.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that in addition to governments increasing their interest and investment in CLMV cooperation, it is necessary to encourage the participation and contribution of the business community and development partners in the process of designing and implementing cooperation projects and programs.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that the ASEAN Secretariat coordinate with CLMV members to innovate the way of allocating resources for cooperation projects and programs, focusing more on new areas such as digital transformation, green transformation, smart agriculture, and climate change response, in line with the requirements of the new development stage of the four countries.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam cooperation and will continue to do its utmost to further deepen the traditional friendship, friendly neighborliness and mutual benefit, so that the four countries can catch up, progress together and rise up in the new era of development.
At the end of the Conference, the leaders adopted a Joint Statement and witnessed the transfer of the CLMV cooperation chairmanship role between Myanmar and Vietnam./.
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