The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and China PRC recently co-hosted the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of the Mekong River Basin Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation at the Kunming Hotel, China. Representing Thailand in the meeting was Mr Sombat Uthaisang, Deputy Minister of Transport and communications, and Mr Sansern Wongcha-um, Deputy Secretary-General of NESDB.
The Greater Mekong Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation, encompassing China, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand, is now marching towards the more concrete operational guidelines. Major issues brought up for consideration of the Sixth Ministerial Meeting can be concluded as :
The meeting acknowledged progress of the cooperation is seven sectors, categorized by priorities, namely : transport, telecommunications, energy, tourism, environmental and natural resource management, human resource management, trade and investment. Approval was granted for future steps to betaken of each sector, emphasizing coordination for effective implementation of the development projects as mentioned in the action plans.
Furthermore, the meeting agreed to request the ADB to continue serving as coordinator for the development of countries located in the Greater Mekong sub-region so as to minimize duplication in operations, and to coordinate resource utilization for ultimate benefits, especially the implementation of the Forum for Comprehensive Development of Indochina (FCDI), Mekong River Commission (MRC), Mekong-ASEAN, and AEM-MITI. Meanwhile, capability of a central coordinating agency of each country should be strengthened for both internal and external coordination among all parties.
The terms of reference for long term development strategies for the Greater Mekong sub-region were endorsed at the meeting as well, so as to set directions for sub-regional economic cooperation in the next 25 years. Emphasis was placed on the development guidelines and cooperation mechanism that contributed to the utmost benefits in resource utilization and allocation. In this regard, Deputy Prime Minister Amnuay Viravan, in his capacity as Chairman of the REDCC, assigned the office of the NESDB to map out a strategic plan for economic cooperation between Thailand and the neighboring economies to be used as a framework for future cooperation in this subregion
--Development News Bulletin, National Economic and Social Development Board, Volume 11, No.10--
The Greater Mekong Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation, encompassing China, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand, is now marching towards the more concrete operational guidelines. Major issues brought up for consideration of the Sixth Ministerial Meeting can be concluded as :
The meeting acknowledged progress of the cooperation is seven sectors, categorized by priorities, namely : transport, telecommunications, energy, tourism, environmental and natural resource management, human resource management, trade and investment. Approval was granted for future steps to betaken of each sector, emphasizing coordination for effective implementation of the development projects as mentioned in the action plans.
Furthermore, the meeting agreed to request the ADB to continue serving as coordinator for the development of countries located in the Greater Mekong sub-region so as to minimize duplication in operations, and to coordinate resource utilization for ultimate benefits, especially the implementation of the Forum for Comprehensive Development of Indochina (FCDI), Mekong River Commission (MRC), Mekong-ASEAN, and AEM-MITI. Meanwhile, capability of a central coordinating agency of each country should be strengthened for both internal and external coordination among all parties.
The terms of reference for long term development strategies for the Greater Mekong sub-region were endorsed at the meeting as well, so as to set directions for sub-regional economic cooperation in the next 25 years. Emphasis was placed on the development guidelines and cooperation mechanism that contributed to the utmost benefits in resource utilization and allocation. In this regard, Deputy Prime Minister Amnuay Viravan, in his capacity as Chairman of the REDCC, assigned the office of the NESDB to map out a strategic plan for economic cooperation between Thailand and the neighboring economies to be used as a framework for future cooperation in this subregion
--Development News Bulletin, National Economic and Social Development Board, Volume 11, No.10--