I. Mekong Subregion: Prospects and Challenges 

Mekong, stretching 4,800 km, is the longest river in South East Asia and the 12th longest river in the world. The Mekong Subregion covers five countries, namely Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar, with an area of almost two million square kilometers (2,000,000 km2)

The Mekong Subregion, formed by the Mekong river and blessed with a favorable tropical climate, enjoys a special advantage in agro-production to become the world largest rice basket. The subregion economic growth is impressive, with the region’s average growth rate of 6.1%, in comparison with 2.5% of the world. The regional growth bases not only on agro-production, but on the enhancement of economic structural reform toward industrialization and modernization. With a young and dynamic population, the subregion has a great advantage in human resource and a potential consumer market. Besides, the subregion enjoys a special geographic position, which plays as a link between major dynamic markets and economies in Asia, such as China, India, ASEAN countries.  Blessed with those advantages, the Mekong Subregion has a potential of becoming an ASEAN production – consumption hub and an important link in the global value chain, connecting the transport, trade, investment among nations in East Asia.

In recent years, the subregion potentials have attracted attention from investors and development partners. In the trend of regional and international integration, the Mekong Subregion has established various cooperation mechanisms among the Mekong Subregion countries or between the Mekong Subregion countries and other partners like the US, Japan, Republic of Korea, India, China, the EU.

With its intrinsic strength and right policies, the Mekong Subregion is becoming a dynamic economic region, creating the driving force for the common development in South East Asia.

II. The Establishment and Development of ACMECS and CLMV:
There are four cooperation mechanisms among countries in the Mekong Subregion, namely:

1. Mekong River Commision (1995)
2. Cambodia – Laos – Vietnam Cooperation (CLV - established 1999)
3. Cambodia – Laos – Myanmar – Vietnam Cooperation  (CLVM – established 2003)
4. Ayeyawady – Chao Praya – Mekong Economic Strategy (ACMECS – established 2003)

There are eight cooperation mechanisms between Mekong Subregion countries and development partners, namely:
1 Greater Mekong Subregion Cooperation (GMS – established 1992)
2 ASEAN - Mekong Basin Development Cooperation (AMBDC – established 1996)
3 Mekong - Ganga Cooperation (MGC –  established 2000)
4 Mekong - Japan Cooperation (established 2007)
5 Lower Mekong Initiative (established 2009)
6 Mekong – Republic of Korea Cooperation (established 2011)
7 Friends of Lower Mekong (FLM established 2011)
8 Lancang - Mekong Cooperation (established 2015)

1. CLMV Cooperation
1.1. Establishment and Cooperation Goals

At ASEAN – Japan Summit in December 2003 in Tokyo, Japan, heads of states and governments of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet Nam (CLMV)  agreed to hold the 1st  CLMV Summit at the time of the 10th ASEAN Summit  in Vientiane, Laos in November 2004.

The establishment of  CLMV Cooperation represented efforts to meet the requirements of Mekong and ASEAN regional integration.  In 2003, ASEAN adopted Bali Concord II, affirming its goal to build the ASEAN Community with three pilars, namely ASEAN Security Community (ASC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), ASEAN Social and Cultural Community (ASCC). The biggest hurdle to the ASEAN integration is the development gaps between ASEAN member states, specifically between CLMV and other ASEAN countries. The establishment of  CLMV cooperation was originally to narrow the development gaps for the enhancement of integration of CLMV countries into the regional development. CLMV cooperation is an open cooperation mechanism, on the one hand, to exploit the advantages and potentials of CLMV countries, and on the other, to set up a channel to mobilize assistance from other ASEAN countries and partners for CLMV countries.  Furthermore, CLMV is also a forum for CLMV countries to coordinate their positions to protect their interests in the  economic connectivities within ASEAN and with other partners (China, Japan, Republic of  Korea…). CLMV mechanism consists of six areas of cooperation , namely trade and investment; agriculture; industry and energy; transportation; tourism and human resource development.

1.2. State of CLMV development

CLMV Summit is an annual event that will decide on major issues and cooperation orientations for CLMV. Ministerial Meetings and Senior Official Meetings preceded the Summit. CLMV set up six working groups corresponding six areas of their cooperation, of which Viet Nam is in charge of three working groups in trade – investment, information technology and human resource development.

The 1st CLMV Summit,  November  2004,  adopted Vientiane Declaration on Cooperation Enhancement and Economic Integration between CLMV countries, affirming their commitment to enhance economic cooperation and integration within the Mekong Sub-region. ASEAN and the region; calling countries and international organizations to enhance their assistance for the four countries to narrow the development gaps.

The 2nd CLMV Summit,  December 2005 in Malaysia, the CLMV Prime Ministers adopted CLMV Action Plan and agreed that CLMV will coordinate with Thai Lan to explore possibility to merge CLMV mechanism with ACMECS (Ayeyawady- Chao Phraya- Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy)  mechanism to enhance the cooperation efficiency and to avoid overlapping cooperation.

The 3rd CLMV Summit, January 2007 in the Philippines,  witnessed agreements on the merging of CLMV and ACMECS; the adoption of CLMV 2006 Action Plan and tasked working groups from CLMV countries to propose feasible cooperation projects for discussion and conclusion in the CLMV SOM in Viet Nam in early 2007.

The 4th CLMV Summit, November 2008 in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, agreed upon the orientation of CLMV cooperation  in trade and investment, transportation, agriculture, industry and energy, tourism and human resource development; involving the private and business sectors to the cooperation process. The summit agreed to facilitate and promote businesses from member states to participate in investment,  businesses in processing industries, minerals, hydropower, infrastructure development, services and logistics… Countries appreciated Viet Nam’s CLMV Scholarship programs.

The Summit agreed to meet every two years, preceded by Ministerial Meetings; Senior Official Meetings held annually.

Due to the slow progress and overlapping in cooperation mechanisms such as ASEAN, Mekong Sub-region, the CLMV …, Prime Ministers also agreed to approve the list of 58 CLMV cooperation projects and instructed the senior officials to establish the list of prioritized projects for sponsorship and to build up specific roadmap for implementation. The Summit also agreed with Lao’s initiative to hold regional workshop to mobilize international assistance for the integration of  CLVM member countries into ASEAN in early 2009; the SOM will discuss and approve the list of priority projects opened for international assistance.

The 5th CLMV Summit, November 2010 in Cambodia, the CMLV Prime Minister exchanged the current cooperation progress and concluded that despite progress in bilateral cooperation, the joint cooperation projects among CLMV countries were stalled due to lack of financial assistance. The Prime Ministers also agreed to boost the cooperation by adopting a list of 16 priority projects in CLMV countries and making recommendation to the ASEAN Secretariat to find the financial assistance from ASEAN Integration Initiative Fund and other partners. The Summit also adopted the Phnompenh Joint Communique on cooperation promotion between CLMV countries to narrow development gaps with other ASEAN countries.

The 6th CLMV Summit, March 2013 in Laos, reached agreements on major orientation on CLMV development, including (i) raising the feasibility and financial mobilization by adjusting the 10 remaining projects with more specific and detailed components to better fit the priorities of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI); (ii) raising the efficiency of cooperation, including the improvement of monitoring mechanism on the implementation of Action Plan and to hold working group and senior officials meetings annually.  (iii) to boost the cooperation and facilitate trade, investment, tourism; (iv) to increase connectivity through enhancing cooperation in economic corridors; and (v) to promote human resource development.

The 7th CLMV Summit, June 2015 in Myanmar, heads of CLMV states/governments agreed: (i) to enhance trade and investment cooperation among CLMV countries; to build new policies to facilitate trade among CLMV countries and  to implement bilateral and multilateral agreements that had been signed; to improve investment and business environment and to facilitate businesses and investment among CLMV countries; to build policies to encourage investment in agriculture, industry and energy sectors; (ii) to make full use of the potentials of  the East – West Economic Corridor ; the South Economic Corridor and the North – South Economic Corridor; to introduce the “one gate, one stop” inspection model in international border gates; and (iii) to promote CLMV sub-region a world tourism destination.

1.3. Vietnam participation in CLMV:

Vietnam has actively engaged in CLMV cooperation mechanism, especially in investing and supporting Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar in education, human resource development. Besides, Vietnam has set forth various cooperation initiatives to enhance the effectiveness and substance of the cooperation between CLMV countries.

2. ACMECS Cooperation Strategy
2.1. Establishment

The Ayeyawady – Chao Phraya – Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), also known in short  as Economic Cooperation Strategy (ECS), is an economic cooperation framework that includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam with a goal to promote multilateral and bilateral economic cooperation to exploit the comparative advantages between regions and  member countries and improve the competitiveness and narrow development gaps.

ACMECS was established at the initiative of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in November 2003 during the Bagan Summit in Myanmar and included Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.  At the Summit, member countries agreed to rename Economic Cooperation Strategy organization into  AYEYAWADY - CHAO PHRAYA – MEKONG  Economic Cooperation Strategy or ACMECS (to represent the name of the three main rivers in the Mekong  Sub-region). Viet Nam joined ACMECS at the 1st ACMECS Ministerial Meetings in Thailand in November 2004. 

2.2. Cooperation Areas

At the Bagan Summit in Myanmar in November 2003, countries adopted Bagan Declaration and ACMECS Plan of Action that includes five areas of cooperation: (i) facilitation of trade and investment; (ii) industrial – agricultural cooperation; (iii) transportation; (iv) tourism cooperation; and (v) human resource development.

At the 2nd ACMECS Summit in April 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand, member countries agreed to add public health to their cooperation. At the 4th ACMECS Ministerial Meeting in Pakse, Laos in July 2006, countries agreed to separate industrial-agricultural cooperation area into two separate areas, namely agricultural cooperation and industrial – energy cooperation.

At the 4th ACMECS Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in November 2010, member countries agreed to add environment as one area of their cooperation.

Today, ACMECS covers eight areas of cooperation, namely trade – investment; agriculture; industry – energy; transportation; tourism; human resource development; public health and environment.

2.3. Cooperation mechanism

ACMECS Summit is held every two year on rotation basis and alphabet order between member countries, with Ministerial Meetings held annually, and Senior Officials Meeting held annually preceding the Summit meetings and Ministerial Meetings. SOM can be held every 6 months at the request of member countries.

At the 2nd ACMECS Summit in Bangkok in April 2006, member countries agreed to hold Mid-term ACMECS Review meetings between the ACMECS Summits and at the sideline of the ASEAN Summits.

Currently, ACMECS establishes eight working groups corresponding to their eight areas of cooperation. Each ACMECS member country will be responsible for coordinating at least one area of cooperation, for example Thailand in trade-investment and public health; Viet Nam in human resource and industry – energy; Viet Nam and Cambodia jointly in environment; Cambodia in tourism; Laos in transportation; Myanmar  in agriculture.

Ministries of Foreign Affairs of member countries are tasked to coordinate participation of their countries' ministries and agencies in ACMECS.  Viet Nam Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes lead in the country working group that is composed of representatives from different ministries and agencies relevant to the cooperation areas in ACMECS.

2.4. ACMECS cooperation progress

ACMECS Plan of Action (ECSPA) 2003 – 2005 proposed 46 joint cooperation projects and about 280 bilateral cooperation projects with ACMECS cooperation areas. Member countries agreed on 26 priority projects that need outside financial support, in which Viet Nam is entitled three projects. The 4th ACMECS Ministerial Meetings in July 2006 in Pakse reviewed the implementation of ECSPA for the period of 2003 – 2005; approved the ECSPA 2006 and the list of ACMECS projects for 2006 – 2008, including 60 joint projects and 251 bilateral projects, which would be submitted for approval at the Mid-term ACMECS Review.

The Mid-term ACMECS Review (2006) agreed: (i) to adopt the ACMECS Plan of Action 2006, the list of ACMECS 2006 – 2008 projects and list of 14 priority projects that were up for financial support from development partners; (ii) to take note agreements on the merging of ACMECS and CLMV Plan of Action; (iii) to prioritize cooperation in transportation, agriculture, energy, human resource development and tourism; to take note and task ACMECS Ministers and working groups to exploit the initiative by Prime Minister Hun Sen on the establishment of ACMECS rice export association.

The 3rd ACMECS Summit, held in Hanoi in November, 2008. The Summit passed the ACMECS Leaders’ Declaration on promotion and facilitation of trade, investment and tourism and agreed to prioritize economic connectivity, especially the promotion of trade and investment within the group to cope with challenges and adverse changes posed by the world economic recession. Besides, the Summit agreed to set up the environment working group.

The 4th ACMECS Summit, held in November 2010 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, exchanged views on the implementation of cooperation in trade, investment, industry, energy, human resource development, transportation and environment. The Summit adopted Phnom Penh Declaration, which preliminary touched upon the cooperation in rice export and ACMECS Plan of Action.

On the sideline of this Summit, Cambodia hosted the 2nd ACMECS Business Forum, in which ACMECS Business Council was founded with an aim to promote the participation of the private sector in the cooperation between member countries.

The 5th ACMECS Summit took place in March 2013 in Vientiane Laos.  ACMECS country leaders adopted Vientiane Declaration and ACMECS Plan of Action for 2013 – 2015, which aimed to boost the linkage between ACMECS cooperation with the establishment of ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 and the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity,  raise the competitiveness and role and position of ACMECS countries in the global production and supply chains. The Plan of Action clearly defined specific directions for cooperation in industry – energy, tourism, trade – investment, agriculture, human resource development, transportation connectivity, public health and social security as well as environment. The Summit emphasized the need to improve the feasibility of projects and agreed that countries should lay out details for the 28 prioritized projects and work with the ASEAN Secretariat to raise fund from development partners.

The 6th ACMECS Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar in June 2015 adopted Nay Pyi Taw Declaration and Plan of Action for 2016 – 2018. The principal goal of the Plan of Action was to turn ACMECS into a top investment and tourism destination and to build up a unified manufacturing hub in ACMECS, especially in the border areas, and seize new opportunities that the ASEAN Economic Community brings about. Covering the eight prioritized areas of cooperation (namely trade and investment, agriculture, industry – energy, transportation connectivity, tourism, human resource development, public health and environment), the ACMECS Plan of Action 2016 – 2018 will focus on: (i) Supporting ACMECS countries to become the major regional and global suppliers of agro-products, especially including cooperation on rice production between ACMECS countries with their development partners; encouraging the model of contracted supply between countries; (ii) Expanding trade and investment cooperation between countries and facilitating flows of goods and services in the region, stressing on the establishment and operation of international border gates and introducing the “single stop inspection, single window inspection” ; (iii) Encouraging the establishment of  manufacturing facilities along the border areas, including the operation of industrial zones, special economic zones, that compose of industrial and exclusive economic zones, enhancing the regional connectivities  through multi-transportation; (iv) Facilitating transportation between countries with soft infrastructure development and build roads along the economic corridors; (v) Developing sustainable tourism and realize the idea of “five countries, one destination” (vi) Raising productivity and competitiveness of labor force; (vii) Cooperating in fighting against contagious diseases; (viii)  Cooperating in management and sustainable development in the downstream regions of Ayeyawady – Chao Phraya - Mekong  rivers, which also includes promoting activities to study the cross-border environmental impacts as well as to solve environment issues.

2.5. Vietnam participation

Vietnam introduced various intiatives to boost cooperation in ACMECS and coordinated in industrial and human resource areas. In November 2008, Vietnam successfully hosted the 3rd ACMECS Summit in Hanoi. Vietnam also put forth the initiative to set up the working group on environment, which were approved by other member countries.

IV. The 7th ACMECS and the 8th CLMV Meetings.

The 7th ACMECS and the 8th CLMV Meetings  take place in Hanoi from 24th – 26th October 2016. With the theme “Toward a Dynamic and Prosperous Mekong Subregion: Seize Opportunities, Shape the Future”, the Meetings are an occasion for leaders to review the implementation of the existing plans of action and set forth ways and means to enhance competitiveness of economies, promoting the regional integration and dealing with common challenges, for the sustainable development and prosperity of the Subregion.

V. Vietnam’s Contribution

As the host country of the 7th ACMECS and the 8th CLMV Meetings, Vietnam has been actively engaging other countries in drafting documents for the Meetings, deternmining to promote practical and specific cooperation, focusing on raising the effectiveness of the two cooperation mechanisms. In order to achieve new progresses, Vietnam has put forward a number of initiatives for specific cooperation, such as building express highway linking Hanoi with Vientiane, conducting feasibility study on the route linking Yangoon - Meikhtila – Tarlay - Kenglap (Myanmar) – Xiengkok – Loungnamtha – Oudomxay – Muong Khoa (Laos) – Tay Trang - Hanoi (Vietnam) to facilitate the transportation of goods and people, with an aim to connect all countries in the Mekong region, to implement CLMV Scholarship Program funded by the Govenrment of Vietnam for the period of 2016 – 2020 or the intiative to promote the mutual recognition of qualification among CLMV countries.
Besides, realizing the importance of the implementation of the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals 2030 to the development of the Mekong Subregion, Vietnam has actively promoted cooperation toward green and sustainable development as well as smart agriculture, effective environment protection, sustainable management and usage of water resources and efficient utilization of energy in ACMECS.
Another remarkable initiative of Vietnam at the Meetings is to enhance the participation of development partners and private sector in the operation of the two cooperation mechanisms. To strengthen the voice of countries in the Subregion, to attract the attention of development partners so as to mobilize resources for the Subregion, the Meetings convene not only heads of state and government of the Mekong countries but also representatives from the United Nations, the World Bank, The Asia Development Bank. It is the first time that World Economic Forum on the Mekong Region (WEF – Mekong) is held in conjuction with the ACMECS and CLMV Meetings in order to introduce the potentials of the Mekong Region to the international business community. WEF – Mekong will bring together many initiatives and opportunities for cooperation between top businesses in the region and the world, contributing to attracting investment for infrastructure, human resource developments and to enhancing the connectivity in the Mekong region.

With the efforts and initiatives of Vietnam as the host country and the active participation of other ACMECS and CLMV countries, the 7th ACMECS and the 8th CLMV Meetings will bring cooperation in the Mekong Subregion into a new phase, contributing further to the sustainable development and prosperity of the whole region./.