1. The 3rd Mekong-Japan Economic Ministers Meeting was held in Manado, Indonesia on 14th August 2011. The Meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Cham Prasidh, Senior Minister and Minister of Commerce, Cambodia and H.E. Banri Kaieda, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan, and attended by Mr. Bounsom Phommavihane, Director General, Foreign Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR, representing H.E. Nam Viyaketh, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR; H.E. U Tin Naing Thein, Minister for National Planning and Economic Development, Myanmar; Ms. Srirat Rastapana, Director General, Department of Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Commerce, Thailand; H.E. Nguyen Cam Tu, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Viet Nam; and H.E. Pushpanathan Sundram, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community.
2. The Ministers reviewed the progress under “Mekong-Japan Economic and Industrial Cooperation Initiative (MJ-CI) Action Plan” which was adopted at the 2nd Mekong-Japan Summit in Hanoi, Viet Nam on 29th October 2010. The Ministers highly appreciated the steady implementation of the “MJ-CI Action Plan”, in the area of hard infrastructure development, trade facilitation, enhancement of SMEs, and enhancement of service and new industrial sectors, highlighting major achievements such as the development of Cai Mep-Thi Vai Seaport, Neak Loeung Bridge and Third Mekong Bridge, and the proposal on Asia Cargo Highway Initiative, as well as implementation of comprehensive survey on the potential for agriculture and food processing businesses by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).
3. The Ministers confirmed that with a focus on future priority areas, which were identified through industry/business-government consultations in each Mekong country and the 4th Mekong-Japan Industry and Government Dialogue during this year, the “MJ-CI Action Plan” should be implemented continuously under the AEM-METI Economic and Industrial Cooperation Committee’s Working Group on West-East Corridor Development (AMEICC WEC-WG) in close coordination with businesses/industries, government agencies and international organizations.
4. The Ministers underscored that development of hard infrastructure and trade facilitation should be implemented effectively in close cooperation with other relevant initiatives in ASEAN and East Asia, such as GMS programs, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, the Comprehensive Asian Development Plan and the Asia Cargo Highway Initiative.
5. The Ministers also reaffirmed that enhancement of SMEs, as well as service and new industrial sectors should be further strengthened by identifying the promising industries based on the needs of Mekong countries and giving them high priority for development cooperation.
6. The Ministers shared the view that information on progress of the implementation of the “MJ-CI Action Plan” such as development of hard infrastructure and reduction of lead time and costs for logistics should be shared with both industries/businesses and governments through seminars, websites, and other dissemination opportunities.
7. The Ministers emphasized that the implementation of the “MJ-CI Action Plan” should support the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint and contribute towards implementing the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan II to establish the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015. In this regard, the Ministers have tasked the AMEICC WEC-WG to formulate the roadmap of the priority areas on the implementation of the “MJ-CI Action Plan” and to submit it to the next Mekong-Japan Economic Ministers’ Meeting in 2012 for consideration. The Ministers will regularly review the progress in the implementation of the roadmap.
LIST OF MINISTERS
1. H.E. Cham Prasidh, Senior Minister and Minister of Commerce, Cambodia
2. H.E. Banri Kaieda, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan
3. Mr. Bounsom Phommavihane, Director General, Foreign Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR (representing H.E. Nam Viyaketh, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR)
4. H.E. U Tin Naing Thein, Minister for National Planning and Economic Development, Myanmar
5. Ms. Srirat Rastapana, Director General, Department of Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Commerce, Thailand
6. H.E. Nguyen Cam Tu, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Viet Nam
7. H.E. Pushpanathan Sundram, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community
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