Prof.Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan and Asso.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Duy Dung, Director of the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, chaired the conference. In attendance were scientists and experts from various institutes of VASS, the Regional Academy of Political and Public Administration I, and Hanoi National University.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prof.Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan emphasized that economic cooperation with neighboring countries had been showing positive results benefitting all parties involved. In fact, many cross-boder cooperation models have already been developed and played a significant role in exploring advantages, complementing each other in the way neighboring countries such as those in the Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle and the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines Growth Quadrangle do. The Vietnam-Lao-Cambodia Development Triangle, now in its 14th year of development, has shown that to turn ideas about socio-economic cooperation into reality requires a great effort from all three countries. In particular, identifying the role and position of the Central Highlands was one of the tasks set out for Vietnam in developing this region and also an important factor in cooperation within the Development Triangle.
The conference organizers said they had received over 20 papers from around the country on the topics of the Central Highlands, cross-border economic cooperation and the Development Triangle. The multi-disciplinary presentations portrayed in rich and bold colors cross-border economic cooperation in general and within the Vietnam-Lao-Cambodia Development Triangle in particular. They outlined the objective factors which created favorable conditions for cooperation, and also mentioned and analyzed existing difficulties and challenges within the Triangle in general and cross-border economic cooperation in particular. The roles and positions of the Central Highlands provinces in cross-border socio-economic cooperation were analyzed and clarified, their strengths, advantages and weaknesses in development were examined, andcooperation between the border provinces of Vietnam, Lao, and Cambodia was promoted.
Conference participants actively exchanged and discussed ideas, and agreed on many issues relating to cross-border socio-economic cooperation such as legal issues, issues related to the development of border economic zones, special economic zones and border markets, social issues, security, national defense, immigration, environmental protection, and management and prevention of cross-border crime. Smuggling is still a problem for development, requiring active responses to hostile forces. To promote cross-border cooperation, Vietnam must consider the Central Highlands a major center for growth, attracting labor and becoming a driving force for Triangle Region development. Therefore, the Central Highlands needs a specific mechanism for solving issues related to the frontier policies of countries on the basis of national coherence.
In a speech at the conference’s closing ceremony, Prof.Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan said that the particpants’ presentations and speeches had analysed and clarified experiences in cross-border socio-economic cooperation in both the region and the world, in both negative and positive respects. In particular, they had examined new trends, expressions of the current mood and situation, and of the near future; they had analyzed and evaluated results, facilitators and difficulties, as well as limitations in cross-border socio-economic cooperation in the Development Triangle, pointed out relationships, pervasives and chances for increased cooperation between regions of the frontier and provinces in the region and the world,; evaluated the role and position of the Central Highlands in the Development Triangle in general, and socio-economic cooperation in particular. The discussions and opinions of participants were an important contribution to the project “Central Highlands in the Cross-Border Socio-Economic Developemt Cooperation within the Vietnam-Lao-Cambodia Development Traingle”, helping to gain good results and high qualities.
Nguyen Thu Ha
