PM attends Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam summit in Kunming

Themed “Friendship and Solidarity for a Resilient and Prosperous Community”, the summit outlined major directions to harness the potential of its members, seize opportunities from new development trends, become a premier investment destination in the region, and create breakthroughs for CLMV cooperation.

The leaders agreed to promote cooperation in areas such as infrastructure connectivity, trade and investment facilitation, tourism, human resource development, and the growth of an intra-regional energy market. They also agreed on enhancing cooperation in sustainable and efficient water resource management, strengthening smart agricultural production capabilities, and advancing sustainable energy transitions.

The leaders highly appreciated ASEAN’s role, particularly the ASEAN Secretariat, in supporting sub-regional cooperation. Between 2021 and 2025, ASEAN has mobilized more than US$19 million to support CLMV countries in areas like trade facilitation, SME support, industrial development, and green growth. They called on ASEAN and its development partners to continue supporting the four countries in implementing the Framework for CLMV Development to close the development gap and foster sustainable and inclusive growth in the Mekong subregion.

Addressing the summit, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam noted that the CLMV countries are facing unprecedented opportunities as the world enters an era of integration and innovation. However, he emphasized that the four economies also confront significant challenges, including limited capital, human resources, and the risk of falling behind if they do not innovate promptly.

In this context, the Prime Minister stressed the need to create breakthroughs in CLMV cooperation to keep pace, move forward together, and excel by combining internal strengths with external support. Only through solidarity and cooperation can the four CLMV countries overcome challenges and jointly build a dynamic and sustainably developed region, he stressed.  

Outlining future orientations, Chinh said the four CLMV countries should renew determination to enhance and build increasingly effective and practical cooperation, aiming for a developed, resilient and highly competitive economic region. Accordingly, the CLMV countries should effectively implement the Framework for CLMV Development and concentrate on high-priority projects. The Prime Minister also expressed hope that ASEAN would give greater attention to and leverage its central role in Mekong subregional cooperation, particularly within the CLMV mechanism.

He emphasized the need for the CLMV countries to select highly feasible areas of cooperation that align with emerging trends and effectively complement other Mekong subregional mechanisms, especially the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). He described the development of a high-quality workforce as a central task and the foundation for advancing CLMV cooperation. To this end, he proposed that experts from the four countries formulate a comprehensive CLMV human resource development strategy, combining intellectual training with skilled labour development.

Vietnam will continue to offer CLMV scholarships to welcome students from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar for study and research in the country, said the PM.

Alongside increased attention and investment by the governments, the PM said it is important to encourage participation and contributions from the business community and development partners in designing and implementing cooperation projects and programs. He suggested that the ASEAN Secretariat work with CLMV members to innovate in the allocation of resources for projects and programs, prioritizing new fields like digital transformation, green transition, smart agriculture, and climate change adaptation, in line with the new development phase requirements of the four countries.

The Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam places great importance on Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam cooperation and will continue to make every effort to deepen the traditional friendship, neighbourly relations, and mutually beneficial ties among the four countries.

At the end of the summit, the leaders adopted a Joint Declaration and witnessed the handover of the CLMV cooperation chairmanship from Myanmar to Vietnam.