Cambodia - Laos - Myanmar - Vietnam (CLMV) need to develop practical actions to implement the ASEAN Overall Recovery Framework, support businesses to digitally transform, and apply high-tech agricultural production, encouraging the participation of the private sector, ensuring that supply chains and value chains in the region are not interrupted…

Mr. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN emphasized the message "Preventing supply chain disruption of the CLMV countries" at the 13th Cambodia - Laos - Myanmar - Vietnam Economic Ministers' Meeting (CLMV EMM 13) held online by Myanmar on September 10, 2021.

This is an important event within the framework of the 53rd ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting (AEM 53) and related meetings to be held from September 6-15, 2021 in Hanoi. Attending the conference were heads of delegations from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and the ASEAN Secretary-General. The Vietnamese delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh.

POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ASEAN

The main topics discussed at this meeting included: (i) Report of the CLMV Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM CLMV); (ii) Progress of the project “Development of Action Plan for Implementation of the CLMV Development Framework”; (iii) Economic recovery plan after the Covid-19 pandemic and next steps to promote trade and investment and strengthen connectivity among CLMV countries.

At the conference, the CLMV countries shared a view that the year 2021 continues to be a difficult year with many challenges for countries and in the region and around the world.

However, despite being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, trade and investment in the CLMV region will still maintain growth in 2020 and the first months of 2021, contributing to the overall growth of the ASEAN region. This is a positive result, reflecting the efforts of countries in both epidemic prevention and economic recovery.

Regarding the implementation progress of the CLMV Economic Cooperation Action Plan for the period of 2019-2020 and the period of 2021-2022, Vietnam highly appreciated the efforts and rapid adaptation and transformation of CLMV countries in the implementation of activities and projects.

Vietnam expresses thanks to Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar for the cooperation and participation in activities hosted by Vietnam such as fairs and exhibitions held in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and other scholarship programs granted by Vietnam.

In 2021, Vietnam will continue to organize fairs, exhibitions and invite Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar to attend; maintain scholarship programs for citizens of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar.

POST-PANDEMIC ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN

Regarding the economic recovery plan after the Covid-19 pandemic and the next steps to promote trade, investment, and strengthen connectivity among CLMV countries, the Delegation leaders shared information and experiences on policies and measures to recover the economy after the epidemic.

The head of the Vietnamese delegation proposed solutions to promote trade and investment cooperation and strengthen connectivity among CLMV countries.

Specifically, Vietnam suggested that countries pay attention to and continue to promote the implementation of cooperation activities in the CLMV Action Plan 2021-2022, in association with the goals of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025.

Mr. Dato Lim Jock Hoi emphasized that CLMV countries need to develop practical actions to implement the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework, support businesses in digital transformation, apply high-tech agricultural production, and encourage the participation of the private sector.

At the end of the conference, Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh expressed his hope that Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and the ASEAN Secretariat would continue to support and cooperate with Vietnam as the leading role for CLMV’s economic cooperation in 2022.