Within the framework of the first Parliamentary Summit between Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam (CLV), which opened in the Lao capital Vientiane on December 5, a session on enhancing parliamentary cooperation in promoting connectivity between the three economies towards sustainable and inclusive development took place on the same day, according to a report from the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

VNA quoted speakers at the event as noting that since the launch of the CLV Development Triangle Area in 1999, the three countries have signed numerous important cooperation agreements covering areas such as economy, investment, trade, customs, transportation, culture, and education and training, thus facilitating the smooth flow of goods, people, and vehicles across their borders.

The three legislatures have made efforts to fine-tune laws, policies, and mechanisms to ensure a full legal framework for promoting economic connectivity between the three neighboring countries, speakers told the Summit.

The Vietnamese delegation, for its part, suggested that the three legislatures promote coordination through annual or ad-hoc exchanges and discussions as necessary, hold high-level parliamentary conferences periodically with substantial and effective cooperative content, and enhance the role of lawmakers, especially those from border provinces in the CLV Development Triangle Area.

It also proposed building favorable mechanisms concerning administrative procedures, taxes, and land access to attract investment, especially in hi-tech projects; issue policies conducive to investment connectivity and upgrades in infrastructure at the three countries’ border gates; and develop the private sector into a growth engine of the area.

The governments of the three countries should pool resources for rapid and sustainable development of their economies, strengthen connectivity, and effectively roll out programs and projects in the Development Triangle Area, particularly those related to education and training, transportation, clean and renewable energy, and digital connectivity, the Vietnamese delegation suggested.