The 3rd annual conference on “Cambodia – Vietnam – Laos cooperation: new issues and solutions”

The conference recognizes participations 100 representatives including scientists of the three academies, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Cambodia, Ambassador of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to Cambodia, the Lord Major of Phnom Penh city and representatives from the Kingdom of Cambodia’s ministries and offices.

The annual conference among the three academies was created by Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. The 1st conference was held in 2012 in Da Nang city in Vietnam; the 2nd conference took place in 2013 in Tha Khet district, Kham Muon province, Laos, and this year, 2014, it took place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The next to each conference is workshop on building capacity of green growth and sustainable development co-organized by Korean associate and other international organizations.

At the opening section, Prof. Academician Khlot Thyda, President of RAC; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, President of VASS; Prof. Dr. Chaleune Yiapaoheu, President of LASS and Mr. Pa Socheatvong, the Lord Major of Phnom Penh city had welcome and opening speeches.

On the opening speech, Prof. Academician Khlot Thyda highly valued VASS’s creation of annual conference among the three academies of the three countries, and reviewed results of the two previous conferences in Vietnam in 2012 for the first time and in Laos for the second time toward purpose of exchanging research findings of social science researchers for benefits of people and governments in the three countries. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang emphasized the 3rd annual conference’s meaning in promotion of close relations among three countries on the background of deeply and widely international integration; especially once ASEAN community will be realized in 2015; as well as hopefully the next conference will discuss deeply on new issues and specific solutions in order to help the three governments to implement their determined politics of developing nations, keeping the region peaceful and stable. Prof. Dr. Chaleune Yiapaoheu affirmed favourable traditions of the three countries; and believed that the annual conferences on social science of academies of the three countries are meaningfulness of exchanging research findings, giving opportunity of consolidation of great unity for benefit of the three countries.

On the welcome speech, Mr. Pa Socheatvong, the Lord Major of Phnom Penh city expressed his happiness about that the 3rd annual conference took place in Phnom Penh city. He said that Phnom Penh city signed cooperative agreements with Ho Chi Minh city and Vientiane city, and that is fundamental of Phnom Penh’s realistic and specifiable contribution to consolidation of great unity and development of the three countries.

The conference heard 15 papers of scientists from the three countries in four sections with following subjects:1) Cooperation among the three countries in politics, security (Lieutenant-general Sophana Meach (Ministry of Home Affairs of Cambodia), Assoc. Scientific Dr. Tran Khanh (VASS) and Dr. Saysaming Sivilay (LASS); 2) Cooperation among the three countries in economy and border trade (Dr. KY Sereyvath (RAC), Assoc. Dr. Nguyen Duy Dung (VASS), Dr. Feuangsy Laofoung (LASS) and Mr. Mau Thora (Cambodia Ministry of Trade); 3) Cooperation among the three countries in culture and social affairs (Dr. NOU Chansophy (RAC), Dr. OM Pom (RAC), Assoc. Dr. Nguyen Sy Tuan (VASS) and Dr. Bounetheng (LASS); 4) Cooperation among the three countries in environment and natural resources (Dr. SUN Sot (RAC), Dr. MONG Seang Nghim (RAC), Dr. Vo Cong Nguyen (VASS) and Dr. Sila MOUNTHALAVONG (LASS). Speeches and talks at the conference all agreed to highly value result of bilateral cooperation in politics, security, economy and border trade, culture and social affairs, natural resources and environment; as well as analysis of negative persistence and suggesting cooperative procedure among three sides in order to solve issues emerged in new background of the region and the world.

In the closing section, Prof. Dr. Chaleune Yiapaoheu summarized new contributions and issues discussed at the conference. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang affirmed that success of the 3rd annual conference manifests in scientific spirit and efforts of finding common voice among scientists of the three countries in order to contribute to building competitive capacity and cooperation effectiveness toward that generate new position of the three countries in the region and the world. Finally, on behalf of the chairman board, Prof. Academician Khlot Thyda emphasized meaning of researches presented and discussed at the conference, particularly suggestion of solutions for promotion of cooperation among the three countries on the new background; and expressed his gratitude to contribution of leaders and scholars from the three academies to success of the conference.

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The next to the 3rd annual conference of the three academies from the three countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia is a capacity building seminar on “Sustainable energy security through green growth in Mekong Subregion” on October 28th 2014 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The seminar recognized participation of Presidents, Deputy Presidents and scientists of the three academies from the three countries, representative of Environment Ministry’s leaders of the Kingdom of Cambodia Say Samal, representative of leaders of Korea Environment Institute (KEI) and United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP), and experts, policy-makers, business community. This is the third time the capacity building seminar on green growth and sustainable development is held with support of Korean associate.

On a speech at the seminar, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, President of VASS emphasized that sustainable energy security plays a important role in development strategies and policies of countries in Mekong Subregion, particularly Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Nowadays conception of energy security is more opened than in tradition. It counts not only requirement of economic growth but also requirements of sustainable development and environment protection on the background of global climate change. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang argued that it is necessary to enhance cooperation effectiveness among the countries in Mekong Subregion to solve differences existed in sustainable energy development, particularly in relations to construction and administration of hydroelectric plants at the main stream of Mekong river.

The seminar discussed deeply contents in relations to requirement of development of the three countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and Korean experience, such as: relations between sustainable energy security and sustainable development, strategy of sustainable energy for promotion of green growth, technologies of green energy and recycled energy, and assessment of strategic environment. On the background of that Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are dynamic economies, have high speed of growth and high need of using energy day by day, the countries face a big challenge of requirement for ensuring sustainable energy security, that not only needs big investment in capital and technology but also reforming procedures and policies. Although each country has specific characteristics and priorities in process of development, the all countries have same demand of cooperation, sharing experience of reality and policies for purpose of sustainable development.

VASS’s representatives contributed to the seminar via papers of those: 1) Challenges and opportunities of ensuring sustainable energy security in Vietnam (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Tuan – Institute of Regional Sustainable Development); 2) Vietnam’s energy policy and strategy for sustainable development (Dr. Tran Quang Minh – Institute for Northeast Asian Studies); 3) Development of recycled energy in Vietnam: Challenges of technology (Dr. Bui Quang Binh – Institute of Human Geography); 4) Development of hydroelectric power in Greater Mekong Subregion and impacts on environment: Analysis of initial findings (Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang – Institute for Southeast Asian Studies). The speeches was highly valued and positive response from other participants at the seminar. 

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Foremore, in the same schedule with the conference and the seminar mentioned above, delegations of the three academies, Korea Environment Institute and United Nation Environment Programme visited Vice Prime Minister of Royal Government of Cambodia Sok An, participated in opening and closing sections of conferences, and award ceremony where Vice Prime Minister of Royal Government of Cambodia Sok An awarded medals to the three academies’ presidents, leaders of Korea Environment Institute and United Nation Environment Programme. This activity expresses high recognization of Royal Government of Cambodia to process of tight and peaceful cooperation among the three academies and between them and the Korean associate. The Vice Prime Minister expressed his special concern and support of that scientists from the three countries cooperated in science. He also wants the scientists base on their research findings to provide good suggestions to the governments for making development policy of the countries, and consolidating, tightening solidarity and peace among the three countries.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, President of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences on behalf of the three academies’ leaders announced that the 4th annual conference will be held in Dalat city, Lam Dong province, Vietnam in 2015, and focus on issues of cooperation among the three countries in economics, interborder trade, development of high technology agriculture and series of green products based on agriculture.

                                                             Tran Thi An, Nguyen Manh Hung and Luu Anh Tuyet (In summary)