Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam Development Triangle Cooperation: Incentives Needed

11:50:21 PM | 5/5/2014

"One of the main reasons behind the inhibited growth of provinces in the Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam Development Triangle (CLV) is poor resources for development, mainly from internal forces of Vietnam,” said Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the forum "Development Partnership Forum for CLV Development Triangle.” The forum, held in Dak Lak province, aimed to find solutions to support every affected locality to implement socioeconomic development tasks and bring new vitality to CLV initiatives.

Delivering the opening speech to the forum, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc praised the achievements in building the Development Triangle as advocated by the Governments of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, as well as efforts of localities in the region. These tireless efforts have produced encouraging achievements in socioeconomic development and the clearest expression is the strongly promoted production and business investment; seriously cared human resources training and development; upgraded infrastructure; and higher than average growth of provinces in the region, about 10 percent.

However, with their low economic starting points, localities in the Development Triangle are still underdeveloped, compared with the country’s average, because of poor resources for development. Based on difficulties and challenges that the Development Triangle is facing (infrastructure development cooperation projects are slow; resources for project implementation are limited; tax policies and investment procedures are inconsistent; trade and investment cooperation is still insufficient, etc.), Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh stressed that "CLV cooperation definitely needs a dose of "tonic" to accelerate the implementation of priority programmes and projects."

Hoang Trong Hai, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dak Lak province, said, like other provinces in the CLV region, Dak Lak province hopes to receive more care and support from the Government, central ministries, and specially supports from international donors and organisations to address existing weaknesses, strengthen resources, and create motivations for strong, sustainable development in the coming period.

In his closing remarks to the forum, Deputy Prime Minister Phuc hailed the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Vietnam for their initiative to organise this meaningful forum, and stressed that “From this forum, the Vietnamese Government, ministries and local authorities in the CLV region should focus on mobilising resources, seeking partners, promoting cooperation, and linking socioeconomic development investment, especially in transport infrastructure, poverty alleviation, human resource training, competitiveness enhancement and border security guarantee. All aims to realise potential of the CLV Development Triangle and build this region into a leading and thriving economic area of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia".

General Tran Dai Quang

Member of the Politburo, Minister of Public Security, and Head of Steering Committee for the Central Highlands

The Central Highlands of Vietnam has a strategic position in many aspects and has rich potential, particularly natural resources. In the past year, under the direction of the Government, Central Highlands provinces have strengthened cooperation with other provinces in the country and in neighbouring countries to step up socioeconomic development, ensure social security and border security for peace and prosperity of citizens in each country. The Steering Committee for the Central Highlands is directing Central Highlands provinces to concentrate on socioeconomic development for the coming years, based on the direction of the Government, focusing on the following contents: Developing transport infrastructure; developing key industries, especially agro-forestry; accelerating scientific and technological application to agriculture and integrating production with modern processing; pursuing sustainable economic development in association with ensuring social security, guaranteeing national security and defence, preserving and upholding local traditional culture; developing education and training to strengthen the workforce to meet local development demands.

Mr Bui Quang Vinh, Minister of Planning and Investment

Actually, CLV cooperation is less known to the people in CLV countries, development partners and the private sector than other regional cooperation initiatives like ASEAN and GMS. So, raising awareness and understanding of potentials, opportunities and challenges in CLV is very important. In addition to enhancing awareness and understanding, CLV need to consider institutional frameworks and policies to facilitate ODA investment and private investment and point out some CLV priority projects in need of ODA funds and private investment.

Mr Tomoyuki Kimura, ADB Country Director in Vietnam

To realise the overall development visions and plans, the entire CLV region and every province in the CLV region need a strong motivation, powered by the more active involvement of relevant stakeholders and the unanimous support of development partners, to complement their own initiatives. At the same, it is necessary to create better mechanisms for provinces to cooperate with other provinces, thus gradually narrowing the gap with other countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, ASEAN in a wider scope and in the global framework.

Thanh Tam