3rd Meeting of the GMS Urban Development Working Group
This is the summary of proceedings of the 3rd Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion Urban Development Working Group held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, from 5–6 December 2019.
GMS Contents
44th Meeting of the GMS Tourism Working Group (TWG-44)
The Greater Mekong Subregion Tourism Working Group held its 44th meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on 28 November 2019.
Joint Statement from 23rd GMS Ministerial Conference
This is the joint statement issued at the 23rd GMS Ministerial Conference held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 18 November 2019.
44th GMS Tourism Working Group Meeting Promotes Tourism Competitiveness
The 44th Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Tourism Working Group Meeting, held on 28-29 November 2019 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, was attended by more than 70 senior tourism officials and development partners. Delegations included national tourism organizations of the GMS countries, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the ASEAN-China Center, the ASEAN-Korea Center, the ASEAN-Japan Center, Luxembourg Development, Pacific Asia Travel Association, and Mekong Institute.
Myawaddy-Mae Sot border crossing. Photo: Go-Myanmar via Wikimedia, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Myanmar, Thailand Sign MoU to Boost Cross-border Trade
The Governments of Thailand and Myanmar signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve immigration checkpoint and logistics clearances for cross-border trade in the Mae Sot (Thailand) and Myawaddy (Myanmar) checkpoint. Thailand and Myanmar officially opened the second Thailand-Myanmar Friendship Bridge to traffic on 30 October 2019.
Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge linking Mae Sot, Thailand with Myawaddy, Myanmar. Photo: Lerdsuwa via Wikimedia, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Second Thailand-Myanmar Friendship Bridge to Stimulate Cross-border Trade
The Governments of Thailand and Myanmar officially opened the second Thailand-Myanmar Friendship Bridge to traffic on 30 October 2019 in Tak province, Mae Sot district, Thailand. The bridge crosses over the Moei river, and connects the Mae Sot District of Thailand with Myawaddy in Myanmar.
Main photo: Growing business. Shan Zengquan, general manager of Hongfa Fruit Company Limited from Xuzhou city, Jiangsu Province, by Lu Jingwen via ADB. Inset: Publication cover.
Effective Approaches to Poverty Reduction: Selected Cases from the Asian Development Bank
This report presents case studies of poverty reduction projects financed by the Asian Development Bank, including the Yunnan Integrated Road Network Development Project, which helped complete the national expressway system and constructed a highway from Kunming in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the Myanmar border.
The Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway is an integral section of the eastern link of the GMS Northern Economic Corridor, connecting Kunming in Yunnan province of the PRC with Hanoi, and Hai Phong and Cai Lan ports in Viet Nam. Photo by ADB.
Lao Cai, Viet Nam as an Investment Spotlight
Viet Nam’s Lao Cai province has become a ‘promising destination for foreign investments,’ according to a feature on the Viet Nam Briefing, with its strategic location on the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Northern Economic Corridor and its connectivity to the southwestern region of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Key sectors of investment in Lao Cai include construction, tourism, and a
Asian Development Fund grant financing for a project in Lao PDR helped scale up efforts to improve food safety and ensure plant and animal health by improving sanitary and phytosanitary capacity in the country. Photo by Asian Development Bank.
Together We Deliver Highlights Lives Improved through Asian Development Fund Grants
Together We Deliver: Grants for a Brighter Future is a special edition of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) annual publication featuring stories of lives uplifted across Asia and the Pacific through grant financing by the Asian Development Fund (ADF). The ADF provides grants to support activities that reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in “ADF countries”—the poorest and most vulnerable countries in the region.
Seated from left: Mr. Sok Chenda Sophea, Minister attached to the Prime Minister, Minister in charge of GMS Cooperation Program/GMS Minister, Secretary General, Council for the Development of Cambodia, and Mr. Ahmed M. Saeed, Vice President for ADB Operations in the Southeast Asia Department, the East Asia Department, and the Pacific Department at the 23rd GMS Ministerial Conference. Photo by ADB.
ADB Affirms Support for Future GMS Initiatives
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) remains committed to supporting the future initiatives of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Program. Mr. Ahmed M. Saeed, Vice President of ADB, reaffirmed ADB’s support in his speech at the recently-concluded 23rd GMS Ministerial Conference (MC-23). The MC-23 was Mr.
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A subregional cooperation program focused on its fundamental strengths of community, connectivity, and competitiveness while embracing the core principles of environmental sustainability and resilience, internal and external integration, and inclusivity, for building a GMS community with a bright shared future
Greater Mekong Subregion Secretariat
Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division,
Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
Address: 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 8632 4444 Fax: +63 2 8636 2226
