On July 17, 2020, Mr. Saksayam Chidchob, Minister of Transport, chaired the 13th Mekong-Japan Economic and Industrial Cooperation Ministerial-Private Sector Joint Meeting and the 1st/2020 East-West Economic Corridor Development Working Group Meeting via videoconference. The meeting was attended by the Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Shigehiro Tanaka) from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), along with ministers or their representatives from 5 Mekong countries: Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR (Mr. Somchit Inthamith), Deputy Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Cooperation of Myanmar (Mr. Bharat Singh), Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia (Mr. Sok Sopheak), Director General of International Economic Cooperation Department, Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam (Mr. Pham Hoang Mai), and representatives from relevant agencies including the Office of Industrial Economics, Department of Trade Negotiations, Department of Foreign Trade, Board of Investment, private sector representatives from 5 Mekong countries and Japan, and development partners. Mr. Danucha Pichayanan, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Economic and Social Development Council, as National Coordinator of the Mekong-Japan Economic and Industrial Cooperation (MJ-CI) framework, along with representatives from relevant agencies including the Ministry of Transport, Department of International Economic Affairs, Office of Industrial Economics, Department of Trade Negotiations, Department of Foreign Trade, Board of Investment, private sector representatives from 5 Mekong countries and Japan, and development partners including ADB, JBIC, JICA, JETRO, NEDO, Mekong Institute, and UNESCAP attended the meeting at the Ratchadamnoen Room, Ministry of Transport.
The meeting aimed to exchange views, acknowledge obstacles, and discuss operational approaches under the Mekong Industrial Development Vision 2.0 (2019-2023) (MIDV2.0). Each country was requested to present cooperation projects supporting the implementation of each pillar under MIDV2.0 for economic recovery and active response to the impacts and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting discussed plans/projects aligned with the implementation guidelines of the Mekong Industrial Development Vision 2.0 (2019-2023) (MIDV2.0), focusing on sustainable development of people’s quality of life in the Mekong subregion through technology and innovation in three areas: 1) Connectivity in industry, infrastructure, and regulations, 2) Digital innovation, and 3) Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On this occasion, Mr. Danucha Pichayanan, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Economic and Social Development Council, as head of the Thai Senior Officials, presented 5 projects aligned with the implementation guidelines under MIDV2.0 vision pillars and aimed at addressing the impacts and challenges of COVID-19. The Deputy Secretary-General also emphasized expediting the improvement of cross-border regulations in the Mekong subregion, particularly cooperation under the GMS Cross Border Transport Facilitation Agreement (CBTA) and the development of ASEAN Single Window to achieve equal standards, ensuring safe border crossing without health risks, reducing congestion at checkpoints, and implementing integrated operations, which will maintain uninterrupted industrial value chain connectivity in the Mekong subregion. Additionally, Thailand emphasized cooperation in workforce skill development, the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), and promoting business models using technology and innovation in a business-friendly environment, especially for startups and SMEs, including emphasizing clear guidelines to transform the vision into concrete actions.
Private sector representatives from Mekong countries and Japan presented key cooperation issues to improve the investment climate in the Mekong subregion, including accelerating workforce skill development in industrial and service sectors, promoting technological capabilities and access to funding for SMEs, expediting implementation under the CBTA agreement and ASEAN Single Window system for concrete results, and accelerating technology transfer, the adoption of ICT tools, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things for industrial development.
The feedback from this meeting will be used by Japan as input for providing cooperation support for projects proposed by Mekong subregion countries and for presentation to the Mekong-Japan Ministers at the 12th Mekong-Japan Economic and Industrial Cooperation Ministerial Meeting in September 2020 in Vietnam.