Continue to promote cooperation between provinces in the Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam Development Triangle Area

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

At the Conference, presenting the draft Report on the results of the implementation of the 8th Local Subcommittee and recommendations to the SOM Conference for guidance in the coming time, Mr. Huynh Anh Minh, Vice Chairman of Binh Phuoc Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Vietnam Local Subcommittee, said that in recent times, the security and political situation in the border area has been stable. These are the most favorable conditions to promote friendship and cooperation for development. In particular, on the Vietnamese side, with the attention and help of the Government, ministries, central branches and the close direction of the leaders of 05 Vietnamese provinces in the CLV Development Triangle Area, along with the enthusiastic support of the governments and people of the provinces of the Kingdom of Cambodia and Lao PDR during the process.The implementation of the development cooperation program in the CLV Area has created conditions to further promote and strengthen the friendly and cooperative relationship between the 05 provinces of Vietnam and localities bordering neighboring countries, and between provinces in the CLV Development Triangle Area.

During the project implementation process, Vietnamese businesses always receive close attention and direction from the Government, Ministries, and People's Committees of the provinces and the cooperation and help of the People, authorities and functional agencies of Cambodia and Laos, thanks to which the progress of project implementation has been accelerated. These are initial achievements, creating motivation for businesses in the Province to strengthen exchange relationships and learn about the investment environment for economic development cooperation in the CLV Area. The authorities of the border districts and communes of the parties have initially effectively implemented the cooperation program under the authority of their units, bringing people-to-people foreign affairs activities into practice in the cooperation process.

However, because the transportation infrastructure connecting border districts and provinces in border areas is still low, affecting development cooperation between localities. Cooperation between localities among the 13 provinces in the CLV Development Triangle Area only stops at the level of mutual support and assistance, not commensurate with the potential and strengths of each locality. Besides, investment procedures in each country are different, import and export procedures are still complicated. The implementation of master planning for socio-economic development in the Development Triangle Area is mainly carried out through bilateral cooperation agreements between localities sharing a common border, lacking the common participation of the three countries.

Participating in comments on the implementation results report of the 8th Local Subcommittee, the Heads of the Local Subcommittees of Cambodia and Laos highly appreciated the results achieved over the past time and agreed on the direction of cooperation in the coming time. At the same time, agree on the proposed content to the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) of the CLV Development Triangle Area. Accordingly, the parties agreed to commit to continuing to coordinate and exchange information to implement agreements signed in the Region. Agree on the proposal of the Governments of the three countries to direct the preparation of a Plan to implement the Master Plan for socio-economic development in the CLV Development Triangle Area. At the same time, we propose that the Governments of the three countries direct the implementation of the Plan to implement the Promotion Agreementn and trade facilitation in the CLV Development Triangle Area. In the process of cooperation between provinces in the Region, it is necessary to concretize it in memorandums of understanding to serve as a basis for affiliated units to implement.

At the same time, we request the Government of Vietnam to propose to the Governments of Cambodia and Laos to agree to pay special attention and call on donors to support investment in infrastructure development for the Provinces in the CLV Development Triangle Area to create synchronous connection.

At the Conference, the Vietnamese side proposed that Cambodia and Laos actively support projects of Vietnamese enterprises that have been and are being implemented. The Vietnamese side is ready to expand, call for and create the most favorable conditions for investors from Cambodia and Laos to come to Vietnam to explore investment opportunities in 05 provinces of Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum.../.