The Prime Ministers of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia began their two-day tripartite meeting in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on December 4 to accelerate the building of the Development Triangle, with the aim of serving the practical interests of national construction and defence in each country.
The initiative on the Development Triangle was put forward by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the first tripartite meeting of the three PMs in Vientiane, Laos, in 1999. The triangle was positioned in the border intersection of the three countries.
During the second tripartite meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in January 2002, the triangle was identified covering Cambodia’s Ratanakiri and Stung Treng provinces, Laos’ Atopeu and Se Kong provinces and Vietnam’s Kon Tum, Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces.
While meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in July 2004 for the third time, the three PMs agreed to expand the triangle to eight provinces after Vietnam’s Dak Lak province had been split into Dak Lak and Dak Nong provinces.
On the sidelines of the 10th ASEAN summit in Vientiane in November 2004, the three PMs met and approved a master plan for building the Development Triangle and signed the Vientiane Declaration on the establishment of the Development Triangle between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. They affirmed their determination to implement the initiative, considering it an important contribution to promoting socio-economic cooperation in the three countries.
Each tripartite meeting marked new progress in implementing the initiative. At their second meeting in HCM City, the three PMs agreed to give priority to cooperation in such areas as transport, trade, electricity, tourism, human resource development and healthcare. Experts from the three countries met and worked out detailed cooperation projects in the master plan.
![The PMs of the three countries at their third meeting in Siem Reap]() |
| The PMs of the three countries at their third meeting in Siem Reap |
The third summit in Siem Reap reiterated that the Development Triangle between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia is very important and that the three countries should cooperate closely in developing the area, particularly its transport infrastructure. They agreed to build a network of roads connecting the eight provinces in the Development Triangle to the three capital cities and Vietnamese seaports. They include Cambodia’s National Highway 7, Laos’ National Highway 13 and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh Highway and National Highways 1A, 14B, 14E, 19, 24, 25 and 49. Cambodia will upgrade Road 78 while Laos will upgrade roads 16B, 18B and 49A.
The three PMs also agreed to develop small- and medium-sized hydro-electric power plants and build a power transmission network connecting the three countries.
Over recent times, in the transport sector, the fast implementation of projects in each country has helped accelerate the building of a basic traffic network of the
development to link Vietnam’s seaports to others in the region. Many border economic zones have been set up. An electricity grid is expected to be connected by 2010. The three countries have implemented many co-operative projects in the fields of infrastructure, construction, trade, agriculture, industry, tourism, healthcare and education. They have been active in promoting co-operative projects in the framework of bilateral and multilateral co-operation, as well as the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) framework and ASEAN co-operation.
The fourth tripartite meeting now takes place at a time when the situation in all three countries is developing well. In Vietnam, after the 10th National Party Congress, the security and political situation has remained stable, while the domestic economy has maintained its rapid growth. Vietnam’s becoming a full member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and its successfully hosting the 14th APEC Summit in Hanoi have won high acclaim from regional and international countries, further raising its position and prestige in the international arena. In Laos, after the success of the 8th Lao Party Congress, the security and political situation has been stable, while the economic growth has reached 7.4 percent on average over the past 10 months. Laos also successfully organised meetings of ASEAN and ACMECS. In Cambodia, the situation has been stable and the economy has kept growing well and is expected to reach a GPD growth of 9.8 percent in 2006. There are bright prospects for tourism development. In addition, the solidarity, friendship and comprehensive co-operation between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia have been constantly consolidated and strengthened to a higher level.
With great efforts from the three countries, the socio-economic infrastructure in the development triangle has gradually taken shape. Orientations and key measures to be reached at the summit meeting in Da Lat will provide fresh impetus for the development of the triangle to meet the demand and interests of each country and contribute to strengthening peace, stability and cooperation in the region.
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