GMS countries, Japan reaffirm cooperation

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HANOI, Vietnam: Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to promoting cooperation between their respective public and private sectors.

The GMS countries consist of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

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Lao Prime       Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh ( right ) joins hands with GMS       country leaders and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan ( third left       ) at the 2nd Mekong-Japan Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.

According to a joint statement issued by the Second Mekong-Japan Summit on Friday, GMS nations and Japan reaffirmed their determination to continue to use resources for the development of both hard and soft infrastructure in the Mekong region.

The summit also adopted the Mekong-Japan Economic and Industrial Cooperation Initiative (MJ-CI) Action Plan, which focuses on hard infrastructure, trade facilitation and logistics, enhancement of small and medium enterprises, and supporting industries, entrepreneurship, the services sector and new industrial sectors based on recommendations from the business community.

“The MJ-CI Action Plan will promote business activities and narrow the development gap through resolving the ‘missing links' in the region,” the statement read.

Development in the Mekong region should be a model for development that reinforces regional integration, achieves sustainable development in conjunction with conservation of the environment and is beneficial for both the Mekong region countries and third party nations.

GMS countries and Japan have adopted a ‘Decade “Toward the Green Mekong” Initiative' to enhance cooperation on environmental conservation in the Mekong region to achieve a “Green Mekong” with lush greenery, rich biodiversity and resilience to natural disasters through various effective measures including reforestation.

At the meeting, delegations from GMS states and Japan also reaffirmed cooperation in reducing poverty, narrowing economic disparities, enhancing food security and improving public health, to achieve well-balanced development in the Mekong region.

The GMS countries and Japan are determined to cooperate with each other to provide support for the people most affected by the global economic slowdown and natural disasters. GMS nations and Japan also supported the Master Plan on Asean Connectivity, adopted at the 17th Asean Summit.

“We emphasise the importance of the positive synergy of the Japan-Mekong cooperation and Asean Connectivity, and share common views that infrastructure development in Mekong countries should be harmonised with infrastructure development in Asean and East Asia,” read the statement.

The Prime Minister of Japan supported the Master Plan on Asean Connectivity and said he would continue to assist Mekong region countries to develop physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity. The Japanese premier thanked GMS countries for their continued support for Japan to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

In addition, GMS nations and Japan considered the importance of the general elections to be held in Myanmar in November and agreed that maritime issues should be solved in a peaceful manner on the basis of international laws for peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Japan held the first Mekong-Japan Industry and Government Dialogue in August 2010.

In addition, Japan has launched a new forum for the promotion of Public-Private Cooperation in the Mekong region and will hold the first such forum later this year, with the participation of the public and private sectors of Japan and Mekong region countries.