Chairman of the State Ad­ministration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivered a speech at the 11th Cambo­dia-Lao PDR-Myanmar-Viet­nam (CLMV) Summit at Wynd­ham Grand Hotel in Kunming, the People’s Republic of China yesterday afternoon.

Speaking on the occasion, the Senior General commend­ed the efforts made to finalize the draft of the ‘11th CLMV Summit Joint Declaration’ that was structured under the col­laboration of senior officials from CLMV countries and working groups formed by the respective lead countries. He expressed condolences over the devastating impacts of the related consequences, such as floods and landslides, in CLMV member countries, which have led to the loss of lives, homes, and livelihoods of many people.

Amid the current global political complexities, inter­national conflicts, economic downturns, food and energy shortages, and other challeng­es, it is essential for all to have the resilience to overcome these issues. Today’s discus­sions offer an opportunity to review and assess the progress of CLMV collaboration, and un­der the theme “From Friendly Relations and Unity to Resil­ience and Prosperity”, this meeting also provides a chance to strengthen and enhance the implementation of the CLMV framework effectively.

Following this, the Prime Ministers of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, along with the ASEAN Secretary-General, reviewed progress under the theme “From Friendship and Solidarity to a Resilient and Prosperous Community”. They shared perspectives on the future direction of CLMV cooperation.

In reviewing the future direction of CLMV coopera­tion, the Senior General em­phasized that Myanmar, as a leading country in the agricul­tural, industrial, and energy sectors, is actively collaborat­ing and working together with its partners. Strengthening in­frastructure and technological linkages among the member states of the CLMV group is crucial for regional develop­ment. Under CLMV coopera­tion, Myanmar has endorsed and released the “CLMV De­velopment Framework” and the “CLMV Development Framework Implementation Plan” to promote regional eco­nomic integration further.

Due to the severe impact of the pandemic, the industrial sectors of the CLMV countries have been significantly affect­ed. In order to promote the recovery and development of these sectors, it is necessary for all to build and upgrade industrial infrastructure, in­cluding technological infra­structure, through economic corridors, interconnections between these corridors, and special economic zones.

All member countries must collectively address the challenges posed by both natu­ral disasters and human-made threats. This includes strength­ening disaster management mechanisms and implement­ing effective programmes and strategies for mitigating the impacts of climate change, re­ducing regional vulnerabilities, and enhancing early warning systems.

CLMV countries should support domestic economic activities and sectors such as MSMEs that are related to the tourism industry, which can preserve the natural environ­ment and cultural traditions.

Implementing human resource development pro­grammes in CLMV coun­tries is of utmost importance. Therefore, it is necessary to continue conducting scholar­ship programmes and expe­rience-sharing initiatives in various fields under the CLMV framework.

The receipt of funding is crucial for the success and progress of every collabora­tive mechanism, including the CLMV partnership framework. He also appreciated the help and support provided by the ASEAN Secretariat and devel­opment partner countries for the CLMV projects.

Myanmar has reiterat­ed its commitment to work­ing closely with the member countries of the CLMV group to achieve its core objective of promoting sustainable, com­prehensive development for the long term.

The Prime Ministers from the member countries discussed and confirmed the statements issued at the (CLMV) summit.

In conclusion, the Senior General, the chairman of the summit, said that all member countries effectively imple­menting the relevant projects will further contribute to the well-being and growth of the people in the region. Hence, all countries need to continue strengthening the pledges and further enhancing the momen­tum of the CLMV cooperation mechanism.

The Senior General hand­ed over the alternate chair­manship of CLMV to the Viet­namese Prime Minister, who made a speech.

After the summit, the Sen­ior General cordially greeted Cambodian Prime Minister Mr Hun Manet, Lao Prime Minis­ter Mr Sonexay Siphandone, Vietnamese Prime Minister Mr Pham Minh Chich and ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn, and the party. — MNA/ TTA