Senior economic officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) gathered in Hanoi on Sunday for their 18th meeting. MOIT
Senior economic officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) gathered in Hanoi on Sunday for their 18th meeting, hosted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
The meeting was part of the economic cooperation mechanism of Asean for this year.
The biannual event focused on plans to realise the outcomes of the 11th CLMV Economic Ministers’ Meeting that took place in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 5 last year; the implementation of the 2019-2020 CLMV action plan; and necessary procedures for the submission of the CLMV development framework.
The officials also discussed with the Asean Secretariat the deployment of a plan regarding the third phase of the Initiative for Asean Integration and other relevant areas.
They suggested the Asean Secretariat continued to support the four countries in connecting with their development partners and mapping out a plan to implement the CLMV development framework after it was approved at the CLMV Summit.
The CLMV development framework provided strategic orientations for economic collaboration between the four countries, and was the first of its kind to be formed since the establishment of the CLMV cooperation mechanism, the Asian-African Market Department said.
The officials also reviewed the implementation of projects funded by development partners like Japan, India and Germany.
According to the department, the annual CLMV Economic Ministers’ Meeting on the sidelines of the Asean Economic Ministers’ Meeting would approve annual action programmes and map out orientations for cooperation.
These action programmes focused on economy-trade, human resources and coordination mechanisms.
The CLMV Economic Ministers’ Meeting aimed to enhance economic, trade and investment ties between the four countries, step up regional integration, improve the role of the CLMV in regional and international production chains, and narrow the development gap between CLMV and other Asean member countries, the department said.
The 10th Meeting of the Committee of the Whole (CoW) for the Asean Economic Community (CoW 10) was held in Hanoi on Saturday by the MoIT.
Chaired by Asean deputy secretary-general Aladdin Rillo, the meeting welcomed senior officials in security, economy, and culture and society, chairpeople of the Asean Economic Community’s specialised groups; and representatives of the Asean Business Advisory Council.
The MoIT’s Multilateral Trade Policy Department said the CoW 10 focused on coordinating Asean’s activities relevant to the economy.
Participants also looked into the enhancement of intra-Asean connectivity and the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the digitalisation of the Asean Economic Community, along with the priorities in certain fields such as trade, investment, services, consumer protection, intellectual property, the Asean single window, and quality standards.
They also discussed a platform to coordinate activities of the Asean Economic Community to promote the group’s economic integration in a more effective manner.
At the meeting, Vietnam, as this year’s Asean Chair, introduced and chaired talks on initiatives for the economy this year. These initiatives focused on promoting intra-Asean connectivity, enhancing partnerships for peace and sustainable development, and improving Asean’s adaptability and operational efficiency.
With 14 draft initiatives proposed since the start of the year, Vietnam hopes to ensure that its 2020 Asean Chairmanship will push ahead with the formation of an economic community that plays a central role in regional and global cooperation frameworks.
VIET NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
