VietNamNet Bridge – The Prime Ministers of five ACMECS member countries held a dialogue on Nov. 7 with some 350 enterprises from the region and their partners.

The leaders are in Vietnam for the Ayayewady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS)’s third summit.

PM Dung announced that the leaders had agreed to promote the business community’s engagement in the implementation of cooperation programmes, as well as focus their attention on increasing the level of cooperation between ACMECS members and their international donors in the future.

On behalf of the ACMECS business community, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Hoang Van Dung reported on the recommendations of the enterprises regarding regional differences in regulations governing cross-border trade and the need to negotiate bilateral agreements between ACMECS countries regarding investment protection.

Representatives from Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar and Thailand made recommendations to improve the facilitation of trade and investment, including the abolition of double clearance in customs procedures and measures to improve transnational e-logistics.

They also suggested a one-visa mechanism, allowing tourists to travel across the five countries with a single visa, development of infrastructure along the and shared borders to promote trade, investment and tourism.

The Prime Ministers touched upon social, economic and policy differences among the regional nations in the face of complex global and regional developments, stressing the need for closer cooperation between governments and enterprises and the role of the private sector in infrastructure development.

(Source: VNA)