With the theme “Leveraging 25 years of cooperation, Building an integrated, sustainable and prosperous GMS”, the Summit gathered GMS leaders and representatives from its key partners, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, and ASEAN.

Earlier in the opening session, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc praised the grouping’s efforts to ensure peace and sustainable growth: “Given the achievement proudly made along the Mekong River over the past 25 years by the Greater Mekong Sub-Region, governments, peoples, the ADB and development partners as well as active participation by businesses, the GMS is confident to promote its role as the first cooperative mechanism in the Mekong region for peace, sustainable development to generate prosperity for all.”

During the summit, GMS leaders hailed the Ha Noi Action Plan and the GMS Regional Investment Framework 2022 with some 220 projects, programs and technical support worth some 66 billion dollars. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha: “I agree with the documents as obvious outcomes of cooperation. We will promote project connectivity between countries, especially in the North South and East West economic corridors and southern corridor in Thailand to promote growth. Railway connectivity is important to facilitate trade and investment while soft infrastructure should be developed to support hard infrastructure connection. We have signed the Cross Border Transport Facilitation Agreement and this will be efficiently implemented with joint efforts.”

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (Photo: VOV5)

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasized on key cooperative components when he called for the drafting of GMS Cooperative Vision by 2030: “First, infrastructure development to boost regional connectivity between GMS countries and with the outside world. Second, supportive connectivity in terms of trade and investment. Third, human resource quality improvement by training and refreshment training in the context of Industry 4.0 for better competitiveness. Fourth, GMS should become a community for joint interests to cope with common challenges. Fifth, GMS need to promote open cooperative mechanism with the involvement of development partners and international financial institutions to benefit all.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterates China’s strong support in the GMS cooperation: “The regional investment framework over the next 5 years will be the next steps for our cooperation. China will participate closely and actively support financially. We are honored to commit in the implementation of this plan to boost people’s living standards. Partnership cooperation should be strengthened for joint future and sustainable growth in the GMS.”

ADB President Takehi Nakao congratulated Vietnam’s successful hosting of the event and its first organization of the GMS Business Summit to foster business networking for integration and sustainable growth. Laos took over the GMS Business Council Chairmanship from Cambodia in the closing session.