AKP Phnom Penh, June 16, 2018 —Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen has expressed Cambodia’s commitment as the next Chair of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit.
Beside fostering the friendship and good neighbourliness between the member countries, other priorities of the ACMECS cooperation include minimising development gaps and poverty alleviation, food and energy security, tourism and infrastructure development, and environmental protection, said the Cambodian Premier after officially accepting Cambodia’s chairmanship of the 9th ACMECS Summit in 2020.
ACMECS must also focus on the expansion of industrial production chains in the sub-region and on the improvement of people’s well-being in order to enhance the ACMECS cooperation to another level as well as to speed up socio-economic development step of the ACMECS countries, he added.
To achieve these goals, he underlined, Cambodia will promote the effective implementation of the Bangkok Declaration, particularly the ACMECS Master Plan 2019-2023, with smooth connectivity, symmetric ACMECS economy, and sustainable and smart ACMECS as pillars.
At the same time, Cambodia will continue to push for the completion of the implementation of Hanoi Declaration, as well as other declarations, including projects and initiatives being carried out both at the bilateral and multilateral levels, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said.
“In addition, we must continue to work hard to mobilise resources and encourage development partners to provide technical assistance and financing to implement key prioritised projects in line with the ACMECS Master Plan 2019-2023. We must also focus on opportunities of the roles and participation of the private sector in carrying out the ACMECS’ prioritised projects,” he added.
ACMECS was initiated at the special ASEAN Summit on SARS, held in Bangkok on April 29, 2003 by Thailand Prime Minister H.E. Thaksin Shinawatra. Later it was raised the idea of establishing what was then called the “Economic Cooperation Strategy”, by the leaders of Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar. Vietnam joined the group on May 10, 2004.
By Khan Sophirom
