Leaders from the six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) nations
– Laos, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand — concluded
their two-day summit and issued a Joint Summit Declaration on the third
GMS summit.

Following is the full text of the Joint Summit Declaration:

Joint Summit Declaration THE THIRD GMS SUMMIT Vientiane, Lao People’s
Democratic Republic 30-31 March 2008 “ENHANCING COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH
GREATER CONNECTIVITY”

1. WE, the Heads of the respective Governments of the Kingdom of
Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic, the Union of Myanmar, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam, joined by the President of the Asian Development Bank
(ADB), on the occasion of the Third GMS Summit:

Recalling the First and Second GMS Summit meetings in Phnom Penh and
Kunming, respectively, where we set out our vision of an integrated,
harmonious, and prosperous subregion, endorsed a 10-Year Strategic
Framework for GMS economic cooperation, and provided key directions to enhance
our connectivity, competitiveness and community;

Reaffirming the guiding principles of our cooperation that stresses the
importance of a pragmatic, action-oriented, and results-focused
approach to the preparation and implementation of subregional projects, which
we confirmed at our Second Summit meeting in Kunming in July 2005;

Noting rapid globalization, scientific and technological advancements,
accelerating global and regional trade, investment liberalization and
economic integration, and emerging new markets in neighboring regions
that have significant implications for GMS development;

Recognizing that while challenges to GMS development remain, our
progress in cooperation is also opening up unprecedented opportunities;

Convinced that it will be imperative to sustain and deepen our economic
cooperation and integration efforts so as to meet these challenges and
take full advantage of the opportunities for GMS development:

HEREBY REITERATE our commitment and resolve to achieve our vision of an
integrated, harmonious, and prosperous subregion, and to continue
working together, closely and intensively, to promote the well-being of our
peoples.

Progress in GMS Economic Cooperation

2. We are greatly encouraged by the significant results of GMS economic
cooperation since 1992.

3. Our economic and development cooperation program has accelerated,
delivered concrete results, and contributed to the realization of our
shared vision. The expansion of trade, investment, and tourism, and
greater understanding among our peoples resulting from the improved and
expanded transportation infrastructure has been substantial. The significant
reduction in the incidence of poverty in our subregion since 1992 is a
remarkable outcome. While many factors contributed to this
development, the GMS program has certainly been a key element in reducing poverty,
a goal which remains at the core of our development efforts.

4. We note with satisfaction the substantial improvement and expansion
of transportation infrastructure in our subregion. This is demonstrated
by the near full completion of the East-West Corridor, the North-South
Corridor, and the Southern Corridor, which was complemented by
concerted efforts to reduce nonphysical barriers to the cross-border movement
of people and goods through the implementation of the landmark GMS
Cross-Border Transport Agreement. This has contributed to reductions in
cost and time of travel, increased cross-border trade and economic
opportunities around border areas, and improved community contacts. We welcome
the initial implementation of the GMS Cross-Border Transport Agreement
at the Lao Bao-Dansavanh, Mukdahan-Savannakhet, and Hekou-Lao Cai
border crossing points.

5. We have likewise made important achievements in other areas of
cooperation. In energy, we are in the process of building new power
generation and transmission facilities and broadening cooperation to other
energy sub-sectors, and have laid down the foundations for future
subregional power trade and energy market. In telecommunications, we have put in
place the subregional telecommunications backbone and are in the
advanced stages of developing the GMS Information Superhighway Network. In
tourism, we are moving forward on a concrete action plan for the next
five years covering the promotion of the subregion as a single tourism
destination and tourism-related infrastructure development. In
agriculture, we are implementing a program that will further promote cross-border
agricultural trade, ensure food safety, and improve farmers’
livelihoods. In human resource development, we are successfully implementing
programs for the prevention and control of communicable diseases, and the
Phnom Penh Plan that provides learning programs in development
management for our government officials. In the environment sector, the
implementation of a comprehensive program to address the subregion’s key
environmental challenges, including the establishment of pilot biodiversity
conservation corridors is in full gear. In the trade and investment
sectors, we are making progress in creating a conducive, favorable, and
competitive environment in our countries through the implementation of
the Strategic Framework for Action on Trade Facilitation and Investment
(SFA-TFI). These gains have laid a strong foundation for sustaining and
deepening our cooperation in the coming years.

The Challenges and Opportunities Ahead and Directions for Future Action

6. The progress that we have made shows that subregional cooperation is
an effective mechanism for economic and social development. However,
challenges, such as the emergence of health risks, human and drug
trafficking, and growing environmental threats, including those posed by
climate change remain. Nevertheless, there are corresponding opportunities
that can be tapped more effectively through cooperative action. These
include regional and global trends that have become more prominent
recently, such as the rapid spread of global supply chains, the growth of
free trade areas, strong moves toward regionalism, and robust economic
growth in the Asian and the Pacific region.

7. These challenges to and opportunities arising from GMS development
were thoroughly assessed during the review of the 10-Year GMS Strategic
Framework that has guided the implementation of the GMS program over
the last five years. We welcome and endorse the findings and
recommendations of the review. We concur with the review抯 conclusion that the
Strategic Framework remains relevant and serves as a sound basis for our
moving forward over the next five years. However, we also believe, as the
review rightfully noted, that there is a need to fine-tune the GMS
program so that it will better harness the opportunities from increasing
globalization and regional integration.

8. Therefore, while we resolve to strengthen and continue our
cooperation in developing subregional physical infrastructure, we will also
place increased emphasis on aspects of our cooperation that will: (i)
transform the improved connectivity into enhanced competitiveness; (ii)
accelerate improvements in livelihoods and further reduce poverty; and
(iii) proactively address trans-boundary challenges, such as the
transmission of communicable diseases, illegal migration of workers, and
environmental degradation.

9. Enhancing economic competitiveness and accelerating our economic and
social development process through the greater use of improved and
expanded connectivity will be the key focus of our cooperation in the
coming years. Our central location in East Asia and the contiguity of our
borders position our subregion to not only benefit substantially from
regional economic integration, but also to spearhead the process.
Enhancing our competitiveness is essential to fulfilling our subregion’s
potential to be a hub of development in this part of the world.

10. To sharpen our competitive edge, we will translate our achievements
in physical connectivity into full and sustainable connectivity. We
will promote the use of the improved and expanded subregional
infrastructure in order to increase trade, investment, and tourism. We will ensure
the safety and effective utilization of infrastructure, and put into
practice necessary related rules and regulations. We will also
progressively put in place the social and environmental infrastructure for
enhanced competitiveness by building the necessary human resource capacity,
and sustainably managing our environment and natural resources. We will
continue to work toward more closely linking local, national and
subregional policies and programs in these areas. We also need to streamline
the various subregional projects and initiatives, from infrastructure
development to human resource development, from trade and investment
promotion to tourism to avoid duplication and achieve greater
complementarity, synergy, and efficiency.

11. We appreciate the launching of a comprehensive transport and trade
facilitation assistance initiative to integrate and accelerate our
efforts under the GMS Cross-Border Transport Agreement (CBTA) and SFA-TFI.
We urge our Ministers to expedite the implementation of the CBTA and
the regional and national action plans of the SFA-TFI under this
initiative.

12. We will intensify our efforts to create a conducive and competitive
environment for trade, investment, and private sector development, as
these are vital for transforming our transport corridors into economic
corridors. We will institute sound economic policies, implement
regulatory and institutional frameworks, and further liberalize, harmonize and
streamline trade and investment regimes. We will further promote
public-private partnerships to expand business and investment in the
subregion that will generate income and employment opportunities for our
people. In this context, we welcome the proposal to establish the Economic
Corridors Forum to oversee the development of economic corridors.

13. Several measures have been taken to strengthen the GMS Business
Forum, and we commit to greater efforts to promote private sector
participation in GMS development and planning. Our dialogue with the business
community on 30 March 2008 was extremely valuable, and we direct our
ministers to follow up and act on the recommendations arising from this
discussion, including initiatives to promote the participation of small-
and medium-sized enterprises in exports.

14. We are delighted to see the inclusion of the GMS Youth Forum in our
program for this Summit. Being the subregion’s next generation of
leaders, decision makers, professionals, workers, and parents, they should
indeed be given the opportunity to come forward, be seen, be heard, and
get involved. We also welcome the organization of the Mekong Youth
Friendship Program, and look forward to the continued and expanded
participation of our countries’ youth in the GMS program.

Plan of Action for GMS Development, 2008-2012

15. We are pleased to endorse the Vientiane Plan of Action for GMS
Development for 2008-2012 (Annex). In this regard, we underscore the
importance of making substantial and early progress on the following
measures:

Transport: Accelerate the construction and improvement of the remaining
sections of GMS corridors, and expand the corridor network through
multimodal linkages, including the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link,

Energy: Help establish a sustainable and efficient GMS energy supply
market;

Telecommunications: Further develop telecommunications infrastructure
linkages, promote the use of information and communications technology
through the GMS Information Superhighway Network, devote more resources
to rural communications development in the GMS, and convene the first
meeting among ministers responsible for telecommunications development
in the subregion;

Agriculture: Implement the GMS initiative on biofuel and rural
renewable energy development, and expand trans-boundary animal disease control
programs and access to agricultural information in rural areas;

Environment: Help reduce environmental risks to local livelihoods and
GMS development plans, including those posed by climate change, and call
for strengthening the cooperation among member countries for the
protection of forestry in the GMS;

Tourism: Strengthen the sustainable management of natural and cultural
tourism sites, promote the joint marketing of tourism in the subregion,
and strengthen the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office;

Human Resource Development: Implement the new strategic framework and
action plan for cooperation in education, health, labor, and other
social development areas, broaden and deepen the scope of the Phnom Penh
Plan for Development Management, support the mandate and mission of the
Mekong Institute, and enhance the prevention and control of communicable
diseases in border areas;

Trade Facilitation: Harmonize and integrate procedures and systems to
facilitate border crossing formalities, including customs, immigration,
and quarantine, and promote the development of trade logistics; and

Investment: Invigorate cooperation in investment and expand the
participation of the GMS Business Forum in the GMS program.

We task our ministers, senior officials, and other government
instrumentalities with working closely together to ensure the effective and
timely execution of this Plan.

16. We recognize the need to generate wider support as well as
additional financial resources to implement this Plan of Action. Accordingly,
we will (i) promote greater ownership and broad-based participation in
the GMS program; (ii) enhance closer cooperation among local governments
and business sectors of GMS countries in promoting trade, investment,
tourism, and other areas of socioeconomic development; and (iii)
enhance resource mobilization efforts for priority GMS projects. We will also
further strengthen the institutional framework and mechanism to move
GMS cooperation forward.

17. We fully recognize and greatly appreciate the unique role that the
ADB has played as catalyst, advisor, and financier. Its participation
has helped bring the GMS to where it is today. We also thank our other
development partners for their confidence and valuable contributions to
our cooperative efforts. We request ADB and other development partners
to continue supporting the GMS program with additional resources and
knowledge transfers to build the GMS as a hub for economic integration in
the Asian and Pacific region.

Conclusion

18. Fifteen years ago, it was a bold vision to foresee how much our
subregion would change, or how deeply the GMS program would contribute to
this change. These changes have brought significant benefits to our
countries and people, and the GMS program has been an integral part of
this transformation. Trade and economic linkages between our countries
have increased considerably, buoyed by improvements in physical
connectivity, investments in human and institutional development, a growing sense
of community, and an awareness of mutual benefits from cooperative
endeavors.

19. Moving forward, we pledge to consolidate our gains and build on our
successes. The GMS future is ours to determine. We will deepen our
collaboration, coordination, and cohesiveness to reach our vision of an
integrated, harmonious, and prosperous subregion.