Lao PM pushes for greater regional connectivity at GMS Summit
Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister of Laos has called for Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) member countries to intensify cooperation to increase and advance the regional connectivity network to drive development in the region.
Thongloun Sisoulith made the comment when addressing the 6th GMS Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Saturday.
The summit brought together heads of government and delegations from the GMS members of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In his address, Mr Thongloun said Laos was centrally located among the GMS members so the country was excellently placed to function as a transport hub providing convenient connectivity for member countries.
To maximise Laos’ strategic location, the premier underlined the need for the countries to assist one another and jointly invest in developing and upgrading more connecting infrastructure. “I think we will have to assist each other in investing more manpower, wisdom and capital in improving connectivity,” he told the summit.
He added that modern technologies and innovations should be employed in logistics and transport related activities to facilitate cross-border transport and the movement of goods to bolster socio-economic development in the region. Mr Thongloun told the summit that Laos had been working with the GMS countries on a number of cooperation projects to develop connectivity infrastructure. Laos and Vietnam have agreed to jointly develop the Vung Ang Seaport in Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province – a joint venture that will enable Laos to access sea trade routes, Mr Thongloun said. Elsewhere, a survey has been carried out for the planned construction of an expressway linking Vientiane to Hanoi. Laos and China are jointly building the Laos-China railway linking Vientiane to the Chinese border, which is slated for completion in 2021.
The line will eventually link with the rail network in Thailand’s Nong Khai province to form part of the planned regional railway connecting China’s Kunming to Singapore via Laos, Thailand and Malaysia. The summit also marked the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the GMS Economic Cooperation Programme. The leaders noted that a number of achievements had been made over the past two and a half decades.
From having several least developed economies at the outset, the GMS now has some of Asia’s and the world’s most vibrant middle-income economies, the leaders said in the Joint Declaration issued after the summit.
Over a quarter century the subregion’s annual economic growth has averaged 6.3 percent and per capita growth has been 5 percent. Intra-subregional trade has increased 90-fold.
The GMS Programme has supported projects worth US$21 billion since its establishment in 1992 in sectors such as transport, tourism, health, urban development, environment, human resources development, agriculture and energy, according to Xinhua.
Connectivity, competitiveness and community are the core building blocks of the GMS cooperation programme. To further underwrite their shared future within the GMS, the leaders committed to strengthening their partnerships, based on mutual respect, trust, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation.
“The GMS Programme will continue to be an essential platform for enhanced connectivity, competitiveness and community and advancement towards a sustainable, integrated and prosperous GMS,” the leaders said in the Joint Declaration.
The leaders adopted the Hanoi Action Plan (HAP) 2018-2022 and the Regional Investment Framework (RIF) 2022 as future cooperation direction for the GMS.
To support the HAP, the RIF 2022 was formulated, identifying a pipeline of 227 projects with an indicative cost of US$66 billion. The RIF is a “living pipeline” of projects that will be reviewed and updated regularly to adapt to changing conditions and priorities, Xinhua reported. The leaders agreed to meet again at the Seventh GMS Summit to be held in Cambodia in 2021. During their visit to Vietnam from March 29-31, the Lao premier and his delegation also attended the first GMS Business Summit and the Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (CLV) Summit.
Editor: John Li