Myanmar PM to attend regional summits in Cambodia

12 Nov, 2010

Myanmar Prime Minister U Thein Sein will attend the 5th CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam) Summit and the 4th ACMECS ( Ayeyawaddy-Chaophraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy) Summit to be held in Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh, an official announcement from Nay Pyi Taw said Friday without specifying the date of his attendance .

Thein Sein is invited by his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen for the attendance.

CLMV are the lesser-developed countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Myanmar, along with Laos, joined the regional grouping in July 1997.

Aimed at strengthening friendship among CLMV countries, uplifting good neighboring spirit, ensuring cooperation among member countries, holding culture exchange, enhancing cultural preservation and boosting tourism sector through cultural cooperation, ministers of culture and fine arts of CLMV held a roundtable in Myanmar's new capital of Nay Pyi Taw in January this year, vowing to maintain cultural connectivity among CLMV member countries in a Nay Pyi Taw Declaration-2010.

The declaration called for preservation of cultural heritage in the member countries, prevention against illegal trading of cultural heritage through borders, establishment of sister cities among the member countries and promotion of tourism industry.

Meanwhile, in November 2003, four countries -- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand held their first ACMECS summit in Myanmar's ancient city of Bagan, laying down ACMECS program which provides for cooperation in five main strategic areas of agriculture, industry, trade and investment, transport, tourist and human resources development.

Vietnam joined the ACMECS in 2004.

In May 2007, ACMECS foreign ministers met in Myanmar's Mandalay, pledging to work for greater competitiveness, narrower economic disparity and promoting socio-economic development in the subregion.

Calling for realization of their 2003 Bagan Declaration efficiently and effectively, the foreign ministers also expressed their desire to strengthen the aims and objectives of the declaration and work for attaining prosperity in the subregion through enhanced solidarity, mutual respect, goods neighborliness and active cooperation among the member countries.

Source: Xinhua