GMS leaders adopt new strategic framework to deal with challenges in new decade

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attends the seventh summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation via video link, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

"Now, more than ever, we must realize the crucial importance of cooperation and collaborative actions," Hun Sen said at the GMS summit. "I therefore urge that we all commit to further strengthen our cooperation and to resolutely pursue the strategies and priority actions charted in the two documents that we endorsed today."

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries on Thursday adopted a new strategic framework, aiming at dealing with challenges in the new decade, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said.

The GMS countries include Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The adoption was made during the seventh GMS Leaders' Summit, which was chaired by Hun Sen and attended by the leaders of other GMS countries including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

"In our seventh Summit today, we endorsed and adopted a new strategic framework, the third for the GMS Program," Hun Sen said in his closing speech. "Again, we should be confident that this will guide us in coping with and overcoming a new set of complex and urgent challenges in this decade."

He said it's certain that the GMS countries are starting this new decade under a difficult crisis arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, with its serious and prolonged impacts on public health and economy.

He added that although there are now glimmers of hope, with the advent of the vaccines, the general expectation is that massive efforts are still needed to significantly control the disease and to bring back sustained growth to the economies.

Besides the pandemic, the world is also facing other challenges such as climate change, unilateralism and protectionism, he said.

Photo taken on Aug. 24, 2020 shows a nursery which was established as a project under Mekong-Lancang Cooperation at the vegetable and fruit research and development centre on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar. (Xinhua/U Aung)

"Now, more than ever, we must realize the crucial importance of cooperation and collaborative actions," Hun Sen said. "I believe that our joint efforts have a significant value over and above the sum of individual national efforts in addressing common problems."

"I therefore urge that we all commit to further strengthen our cooperation and to resolutely pursue the strategies and priority actions charted in the two documents that we endorsed today."

According to a press statement released after the meeting, the two endorsed documents were the GMS Strategic Framework 2030 (GMS-2030) and the GMS COVID-19 Response and Recovery Plan 2021 and 2023.

"The new strategy, GMS-2030, provides a new framework that seeks to help guide the subregion overcome new and continuing challenges and harness present and potential opportunities," the statement said. "It sets the Program's direction and priorities guided by the GMS vision of developing a more integrated, prosperous, sustainable and inclusive subregion."

It also aims at further enhancing community, connectivity and competitiveness while promoting environmental sustainability and resilience, enhanced internal and external integration and inclusivity, the statement said.

For the GMS COVID-19 Response and Recovery Plan 2021-2023, it was designed to help the subregion counteract and overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health and economy, it added.

Held once every three years, the GMS Leaders' Summit focuses on high-priority sectors such as agriculture, energy, environment, health, tourism, transport, trade facilitation and urban development.