Great Mekong Sub-region economic cooperation programme (GMS) began in 1992 between Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and China. Since its establishment GMS countries have embarked on cooperation programmes to promote economic cooperation, cultural and historical common grounds. The cooperation programmes cover nine areas: agriculture, energy, environment, human resources development, investment, telecommunication, tourism, infrastructure development and trade.
The general objective of GMS programme is to create a unified, prosperous and harmonious region. The linkage between GMS members will be through the development of infrastructure for transport, energy and telecommunications. The competitiveness will be increased by the liberalization of trade, transport and distribution networks as well as the promotion of IT development, border trade in agricultural produce and joint tourist destination. GMS will also increase sense of greater community sharing common interests on social and environmental problems such as preventing epidemic diseases, protecting richness of bio-diversity and bio-sphere in the region.
Another important element of GMS strategy is the development of economic corridor to increase the advantages of linkages as well as investments in remote and distant areas of the region. By the end of 2010, 55 GMS projects worth nearly US$14,000 have been implemented such as road, airport, railway, hydro power to distribute power across the borders, develop tourism and prevent pandemic diseases.
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV), key members of GMS programme, are smaller and less developed in economy compared with other GMS members. GMS programme is diversified in size and economic standards among member countries. Therefore, cooperation activities are of multi-approach and multi-speed to accommodate the differences among member countries. In fact, there is an understanding to facilitate smaller and less-developed economies to take up with more developed members. It is tantamount to the closing of development gap between ASEAN members in ASEAN integration initiative. Small countries will get biggest benefits in such programmes as GMS.
A new and long-term strategy framework of GMS is being drafted to define projects and orientations for the next 10 years (2012-2022). It will be supported and approved at the 4th GMS Summit convened in December 2011. The new framework and GMS economic corridor will increase GMS competitiveness and become a dynamic economic axis across national borders developing further infrastructure network. Projects and initiatives of the second generation of GMS will bring more profits for CLMV.
As regional cooperation and development will benefit all GMS member countries, especially CLMV, no doubt, CLMV will continue their cooperation in the interests of the whole region as well as their own, especially in the present and future challenges.
Nguyen Mai
Vietnamese
