(KPL) Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh on Sep 9 attended the 7th Greater Mekong Subregion Summit of Leaders through a video conference held under the theme “Renewed Strength to Face the Challenges of the New Decade”.

The summit was chaired by Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen and attended by leaders of GMS member countries, Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa and representatives of international organisations.

The meeting will review cooperation over the past three years, especially the implementation of GMS Economic Cooperation Programme, the outcomes of the 6th GMS Summit, Regional Investment Framework-RIF 2018-2022 and GMS cooperation strategy 2012-2022 and lay out cooperation directions for years to come.

The meeting is expected to adopt three key documents namely GMS Economic Cooperation Strategy 2030, Covid-19 Recovery and Response Action Plan 2021-2023 and the 7th GMS Summit of Leaders Joint Summit Declaration.

The Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Programme was launched in 1992 by 6 member countries namely China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam with ADB serving as secretariat and coordinator.

The Greater Mekong Subregion Summit aims to promote socio-economic development to ensure regional and international integration, focusing on cooperation in eight priority sectors: transport, energy, tourism, environment, health, trade and transport facilitation, agriculture and urban development.

The Greater Mekong Subregion Summit is held every three years with its chairmanship rotating between member countries–China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

KPL