The 10th Economic Subcommittee Conference of the Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam Development Triangle Area

Mr. Le Minh Dien, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Economic Relations, Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam, Head of the Vietnam Economic Subcommittee delivered the opening speech of the Conference. Photo: Minh Trang (MPI)

At the meeting, the three parties listened to reports on the implementation of tasks assigned by superiors from the 10th Joint Coordination Committee Conference in 2015 and the 9th Summit held in November 2016 and proposed directions for cooperation between the Economic Subcommittee of the three countries in the coming time. The parties commit to continue to coordinate and exchange information and implement agreements signed in the Region such as: Special preferential policy mechanism for the Development Triangle Area; Master plan for socio-economic development of the Development Triangle Area.

In particular, the Agreement on Trade Promotion and Facilitation in the CLV Development Triangle Area was signed on November 23, 2016 in the presence of the Prime Ministers of the three countries at the 9th CLV Summit held in Siem Reap, Cambodia. To date, the Vietnamese side has completed procedures to ratify the Agreement and has notified Laos and Cambodia through diplomatic channels. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam has preliminary developed a Plan to implement the Agreement and is coordinating with 5 provinces of Vietnam to get opinions on this implementation plan.

Implementing the agreement of the Prime Ministers of the three countries at the 8th CLV Summit, the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam was assigned by the Prime Minister to preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries, branches and localities of Laos and Cambodia to develop an Action Plan to connect the three CLV economies by 2030. Up to now, after researching, surveying, collecting data, and working with ministries, branches, Localities in three countries, the Working Group has completed the final Draft. In order for this Plan to come into practice and be implemented promptly, the Conference agreed to assign the three-country Working Group to submit the Draft to the three Ministers for approval to sign at the 10th CLV Summit in the presence of the Prime Ministers of the three countries.

Regarding research and development of the Rubber Industry Development Plan in the CLV Development Triangle Area, in recent times, the Working Group of three countries has actively coordinated, exchanged, adjusted data, and supplemented content to complete the Project. It is expected that the Project will be reported to the three Prime Ministers for approval and signed at the 10th CLV Summit, held in Vietnam in 2018.

Regarding information and propaganda work on the CLV Development Triangle Area Electronic Information Page, implementing the Joint Declaration of the 9th CLV Summit in Siem Reap on assigning the Coordination Committee to review and upgrade technology for this Website, the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam has upgraded and converted technology for the Information Page and converted all data from the old Page to the new Page. At the same time, organize 02 working delegations in Cambodia and Laos to carry out training tasks, editorial technical support and update information. At the Conference, all parties recognized the importance of regularly updating information on the three countries' websites and requested that Cambodia and Laos actively update information on the Website.

Overview of the Conference. Photo: Minh Trang (MPI)

At the Conference, the three parties also agreed to report to SOM requesting that the CLV Joint Coordination Committee continue to organize a Regional Conference with development partners to call for financial investment for a list of 15 priority projects. In order for the Agreement on Trade Promotion and Facilitation in the CLV Development Triangle Area to be implemented effectively, the Conference recommended that the Cambodian side continue to complete procedures for approving the Agreement to have a basis for concretizing the Agreement.

The conference agreed to report to SOM to submit to the Joint Coordination Committee of the three countries to appoint focal agencies from Cambodia and Laos to coordinate with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to research and develop a tourism development plan for the CLV Development Triangle Area. Consider and find financial resources for the Vietnamese side to preside over construction research. The parties also agreed to recommend that SOM report to the three Ministers to assign the parties to consider and coordinate to organize a "Conference on linking tourism development of 13 provinces in the CLV Development Triangle Area" to introduce local tourism products, aiming to encourage businesses to learn and exploit some types of tourism such as: Eco-tourism, caravan,...

The conference to agree on the 11th Economic Subcommittee meeting of the CLV Development Triangle Area will take place on the sidelines of the 12th Joint Coordination Committee Conference of the CLV Development Triangle Area in Cambodia./.