Representatives of Cambodia, Laos and Việt Nam have agreed to assign Việt Nam to devise an action plan for effectively implementing the Agreement on Trade Promotion and Facilitation in the CLV Development Triangle Area, signed in 2016 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.— VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Representatives of Cambodia, Laos and Việt Nam have agreed to assign Việt Nam to devise an action plan for effectively implementing the Agreement on Trade Promotion and Facilitation in the CLV Development Triangle Area, signed in 2016 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

This is one of the important contents stated in the minutes of the 12th meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee on the Cambodia-Laos-Việt Nam Development Triangle Area (JCC CLV DTA 12), just inked by the ministers of the three countries.

The event, which took place from March 7-10 in Kratie Province, Cambodia, was jointly chaired by Cambodian Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak, Lao Minister of Planning and Investment Suphan Keomixay and Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Chí Dũng.

The Vietnamese side is also assigned to develop specific plans and projects to perform the Action Plan for CLV Economic Connectivity up to 2030.

The ministers recognised the need to strengthen current efforts of the three countries in ensuring border security and satisfactorily solving security issues, especially illegal border crossings, drug and human trafficking; and improving the effectiveness of "hotlines", particularly at the local level.

They highlighted that it was necessary to review and evaluate the master plan for socio-economic development in the CLV development triangle area in the 2010-20 period to have a panorama of development status, new opportunities and challenges, as well as demand of the three countries in the new development context.

Regarding tourism, the sides agreed to accelerate the building of a development plan for the sector, and coordinate in collecting information and data to complete relevant reports at the 11th CLV Development Triangle Area Summit in November this year.

Laos and Cambodia have proposed that Việt Nam would be managing the website of the CLV Development Triangle Area, and upgrade the information storage capacity to enable the three countries’ authorities to upload information to the website.

Under the minutes, Laos will be the host country of the 11th CLV Development Triangle Area Summit.

Earlier, a forum to promote investment, trade and tourism between Cambodia, Laos, and Việt Nam was held in Kratie Province on Saturday.

The event was attended by senior officials of the three nations, representatives of enterprises operating in the CLV Development Triangle Area, and those from Việt Nam’s Đắk Nông, Đắk Lắk, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Bình Phước provinces.

It focused on measures to remove barriers in promoting investment and trade in the 13 border provinces of the three countries.

In the CLV Development Triangle Area, Việt Nam currently has 116 projects with total registered capital of nearly US$4 billion, accounting for 23.1 per cent of Việt Nam’s total investment projects in Laos and Cambodia.

Border trade between Việt Nam with Laos and Cambodia has recorded remarkable development in recent years.

However, there are still shortcomings related to the "one-stop-shop” model at the border gates, changes in export-import policy, and infrastructure for payments and banking.

Deputy Director of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment Võ Văn Chung stressed the need for joint efforts by local authorities in the 13 provinces to overcome difficulties and shortcomings.

He also suggested authorities in Laos and Cambodia made tax reforms to create an open business environment for enterprises, especially in the CLV Development Triangle Area.

At the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) on the morning of March 9 in the framework of the JCC CLV DTA 12, local subcommittees of the five Vietnamese provinces frankly admitted that many issues were hindering the area’s development.

The subcommittees asked the three nations’ governments to direct their ministries and agencies to provide funding for the 13 provinces in the development triangle to implement the master plan on socio-economic development; and consider and establish biodiversity corridors in areas shared among the three countries to enhance value and conserve biodiversity; and call on donors to support the development of infrastructure, especially transport facilities.

In the rubber field, a Cambodian representative agreed on the importance and sustainability of the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG)’s investment project in Cambodia.

Since 2007, VRG has invested in 19 rubber growing and latex processing projects in Cambodia, with total disbursed capital of $750 million by the end of 2018. The group has so far planted 90,000 hectares of rubber trees in the country, accounting for 90 percent of the total area it agreed with the Cambodian Government.

The Cambodia-Laos-Việt Nam Development Triangle Area was established in 1999, initially covering 10 provinces: Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Đắk Lắk and Đắk Nông (Việt Nam); Sekong, Attapeu and Saravan (Laos); and Stung Treng, Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri (Cambodia). Việt Nam’s Bình Phước Province, Laos’ Champassak province and Kratie of Cambodia were added to the group in 2009.

The group aims to strengthen solidarity and co-operation among the three countries while ensuring security and political stability as well as promoting poverty reduction and socio-economic development in the area.

Its co-operation focuses on security-diplomacy, transport, industry, agriculture, trade, investment, social affairs and environmental protection. — VNS