Vietnam will organize the sixth Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS-6) Summit and the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV-10) Development Triangle Summit in Hanoi from March 29-31.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy

The information was announced by the Foreign Ministry.

The sixth Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS-6) Summit and the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV-10) Development Triangle Summit are among the most important multilateral external events to be hosted by Vietnam in 2018.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy stressed at a press conference on March 15 that the summits will feature the relations between Vietnam and its neighbouring countries.

Themed “Leveraging 25 years of cooperation, Building an integrated, sustainable and prosperous GMS”, the GMS-6 is expected to draw about 2,000 delegates and 150 reporters.

It aims to celebrate the 25th founding anniversary of the GMS Programme and define cooperation orientations to build a region of prosperity, integration and sustainable development.

For the first time, a business forum will be held within the framework of the GMS-6 as an initiative of host Vietnam, with a view to increasing dialogues between States and businesses and forging links between regional and global enterprises. 

Meanwhile, the CLV-10 is meant to review the implementation of the Master Plan for Socio-Economic Development of the CLV Development Triangle Area for 2010-2020 and discuss cooperation orientations in the coming time, especially seeking to increase the trilateral economic connectivity.

GMS was established in 1992 as an initiative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The GMS Programme is the most complete cooperation programme that involves Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and China’s Yunnan and Guangxi provinces. Priority fields include infrastructure development, energy, telecommunications, tourism, trade-investment, human resources, and the environment.

Meanwhile, the CLV Development Triangle Area was established in 1999, covering Vietnam’s Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong provinces; Laos’ Sekong, Attapeu and Saravan provinces; and Cambodia’s Stung Treng, Rattanak Kiri, and Mondul Kiri. In 2009, the three countries agreed to add Vietnam’s Binh Phuoc province, Cambodia’s Kratie province, and Laos’ Champasak province to the area. Its cooperation focuses on the fields of security, external affairs, transport, industry, agriculture, trade, investment and environmental protection.-VNA