Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) strengthen cooperation

On July 1, the countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region agreed to issue their third joint deceleration in Vientiane to implement a big project effectively.
The project is related to key transport infrastructure along the corridor, including upgrading Tien Sa port in Da Nang, Hai Van tunnel road, and highway No9 in Vietnam; the second international Lao-Thailand bridge over the Mekong, and linking seven northeastern provinces of Thailand with Savanakhet in Laos and three central provinces in Vietnam.
There are two major routes through Laos: the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) that runs along highway No.9 from Da Nang province in Vietnam through Savanakhet in Laos, and Mukdahan and Loei provinces in Thailand to Myanmar; and the North-South Economic Corridor (NSEC).
The corridors will help expand foreign economy, promote commerce, investment and tourism and attract foreign direct investment from inside and outside the region by linking with international markets in the East Asia.
It was agreed at the meeting to build a western corridor from Kunming, China through Hanoi to Hai Phong and an eastern corridor.
A southern corridor will also link Vietnam with Cambodia, Thailand and Laos.
The EWEC running through 13 provinces in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar is one of five economic corridors in the GMS to receive support from the Asian Development Bank and the Japanese Government.