Strengthening cooperation for sustainable development

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the seventh Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Summit held on September 9 via videoconference at the invitation of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The sixth Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Summit took place in Hanoi in March 2018.
The sixth Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Summit took place in Hanoi in March 2018.

This is an important foreign policy activity, further affirming that Vietnam attaches importance to and identifies cooperation in the Mekong region as one of the focuses of its foreign policy. Initiated in 1992 at the initiative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), with members including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and China (with its two representative provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi), GMS aims to promote cooperation to turn the sub-region into a fast-growing and prosperous region in Southeast Asia.

With the three main criteria of enhancing connectivity, competitiveness and community spirit, GMS cooperation has been strongly deployed in areas of potential, such as infrastructure, transportation, trade and investment, tourism, environmental protection, and human resource development.

Vietnam always attaches importance to economic integration and sub-regional cooperation and has underscored its important role in realising socio-economic development goals. The country has actively participated in cooperation since the day GMS was established.

Vietnam has contributed to most of GMS’s initiatives and cooperation fields, especially in transport, energy, environment, agriculture, etc. Following the success of the 6th GMS Summit, chaired by Vietnam in March, 2018, sub-regional cooperation has been promoted and achieved important results in the implementation of the Hanoi Action Plan.

The 7th GMS Summit continued to emphasise the importance of GMS cooperation in contributing to socio-economic development and responding to common challenges, especially in the context of the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of people’s lives in the region. The event has also attracted the attention and support of the international community for sustainable development in the sub-region.

Attending the high-level event of the sub-region, Vietnam once again affirmed that the country attaches great importance to cooperation in the Mekong region; continues to implement the foreign policy of peace, cooperation and development, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations; as well as makes efforts to raise the level of multilateral diplomacy. This is also an important opportunity for Vietnam to promote its outstanding socio-economic development achievements, new development goals and policies, and continue to attract the attention and investment of regional and international enterprises.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s attendance at the 7th GMS Summit as well as the leaders’ discussion on sub-regional cooperation will contribute to deepening the special friendship, solidarity, neighbourly relations and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and member countries, thereby, contributing to connectivity and cooperation efforts for sustainable development in the sub-region and the whole region.