7th GMS Summit: SAC Chairman delivered an address at the Summit

The 7th Greater Mekong Sub-region Summit took place through video conferencing Thursday morning, with an address by Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

The summit was also attended by leaders of the GMS countries prime ministers, ministers and senior officers from Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thailand and Viet Nam, the president of Asian Development Bank, representatives of development partner organizations and private sectors.

First, the video clip on the accomplishments of GMS countries was presented as the opening ceremony of the summit. Prime Minister of host Cambodia Mr Samdech Hun Sen delivered an opening address. Next, Heads of State of GMS countries and the President of ADB delivered speeches. In his address, the Senior General said he took pride of the remarkable successes of the GMS Programme in the enhancement of regional cooperation for about three decades starting from 1992.

The theme of this summit “Renewed Strength to Face the Challenges of the New Decade” is the most suitable for the Greater Mekong Sub-region at present. In implementing the projects and sector-wise action plans in accord with the GMS Strategic Framework (2012-2022), Myanmar participated in the establishment of the Greater Mekong Railways Association-GMRA and signed the Cross-border Transport Facilitation Agreement-CBTA and appendices.

The economic corridors being implemented under the GMS Programme are the most essential for the export of regional products and development. Among them, the East-West Economic Corridor is very essential for Myanmar. The corridor connected between Da Nang of Viet Nam and Yangon (Thilawa) will strengthen the connection among the GMS countries and smoothen the trade process.

The Senior General said he welcomes the GMS Economic Cooperation Programme Strategic Framework 2030 to be approved at this summit as the roadmap for the GMS cooperation programme in the future. At present, the spreading of COVID-19 caused many changes in global countries including GMS countries and impacts in the health, economic and social sectors of the peoples who are still facing difficulties.

Hence, all need to cooperate in the supply of vaccines against COVID-19, recovery of the economy in the post-COVID-19 era and solving the unconventional challenges in addition to that of monetary and technological resources. In responding to the impacts of the pandemic, Myanmar welcomes the GMS COVID-19 Response and Recovery Plan 2021-2023.

Myanmar is striving for prevention and control of COVID-19 and soonest remedying the loss of businesses triggered by COVID-19 through possible ways. Despite facing challenges, Myanmar will make efforts for overcoming the challenges of COVID-19 in its third wave. Myanmar set an aim to have 50 per cent coverage of vaccination across the country at the end of this year.

Myanmar especially thanks to the countries and partner organizations that cooperated with Myanmar in so doing. The Senior General expressed special thanks to Cambodian Prime Minister Mr Samdech Hun Sen for his arrangement to transport donated necessary medicines and medical equipment by special aircraft despite facing difficulties to control the COVID-19 and China and Thailand for the process of importing the medicines and medical equipment via borders.

Next, the Senior General highlighted the grounds for the declaration of State of Emergency, gigantic voting frauds committed in the general election held on 8 November 2020, five-point road map being implemented for the country not to derail from the way of democracy, committing of vote-rigging for more than 11.3 million ballots during the election, accepting the proposal to appoint Brunei Minister of Foreign Affairs II.

Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof as the special envoy of the ASEAN Chairman to continue implementation of the five-point consensus adopted at the ASEAN Leaders Meeting for the Myanmar affairs etc. Next, Cambodian GMS Affairs Minister, Minister attached to the Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the Council for the Development of Cambodia Mr Sok Chenda Sophea explained the successful results of the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Prime Minister of Cambodia Mr Hun Sen gave a concluding remark.

Then, the Heads of State approved the GMS Economic Cooperation Programme Strategic Framework 2030 (GMS-2030), the GMS COVID-19 Response and Recovery Plan 2021-2023 and the Joint Declaration of the Summit, and the summit successfully came to a close.