CLV nations seek to boost trade, investment, tourism
CLV nations seek to boost trade, investment, tourism
Pakxe district, Champassak province: Officials from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam (CLV) plan to coordinate more closely to facilitate trade, investment and tourism in the three countries' Development Triangle Area.
They agreed on the direction of their cooperation after discussing the opportunities and challenges involved in various aspects of the Development Triangle Area when they met here on Wednesday.
The Development Triangle Area was established in 1999 when it comprised seven provinces of the three countries. The fundamental concept was to create peaceful border areas and encourage socio-economic development that would improve local livelihoods and interaction.
Today the Development Triangle Area contains 13 provinces: Ratanakiri, Stung Treng, Mondulkiri and Kratie in Eastern Cambodia; Attapeu, Saravan, Xekong and Champassak in southern Laos; and Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Binh Phuoc provinces in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. They have a combined area of 144,600 square kilometres and a population of about 6.7 million.
Speaking at the ninth meeting on trade, investment, and tourism in the CLV triangle area, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Dr Kikeo Chanthabouly said the Lao government highly valued the three countries' cooperation in this region, noting that it nurtured economic growth and continuing development.
He highlighted the development of infrastructure, road links, hydropower, agriculture, cross-border trade and services, investment, and the growth of human resources.
But, Dr Kikeo said, development to date had not matched the area's potential nor met the requirements for rapid growth.
He called on the governments of the three countries to strengthen their cooperation in addressing those circumstances that had failed to facilitate development. He said coordination should be stronger, faster, more comprehensive and timely.
He spoke about the need to build capacity at the grassroots level in districts and villages so local people could actively participate in trade, investment and tourism.
The trade, investment and tourism promotion meeting is related to the Tenth Meeting of the CLV Joint Coordination Committee, which begins today.
The meeting will review the implementation of the recommendations made in the joint statement of the Eighth CLV Summit held in Vientiane last year, implementation of the master plan on socio-economic development in the Development Triangle Area from 2010 to 2020, and implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding on creating more development incentives in the area.
Other topics on the agenda are the direction of future cooperation, which will focus mostly on making the area more attractive for trade, investment and tourism, and obtaining funding from development partners for various programmes, projects, and infrastructure development.
