ACMECS
Encyclopedia
ACMECS is a political, economic, and cultural organization among Thailand
, Laos
, Vietnam
, Cambodia
and Myanmar
.
At the special ASEAN Summit
on SARS, held in Bangkok on 29 April 2003, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
raised the idea of establishing what was then called the “Economic Cooperation Strategy", with leaders of Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar.
The objectives of this new initiative are to bridge the economic gap among the four countries and to promote prosperity in the sub-region in a sustainable manner. Such prosperity, it is expected, will not only benefit the four countries, but also add value to ASEAN and its solidarity. It is hoped that a stronger Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand will also mean a stronger ASEAN. In this way the new cooperation framework is expected to act as a building block and move ASEAN forward at a more even pace, on the basis of self-reliance and shared prosperity.
Leaders of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand met for the first time on 12 November 2003 in Bagan, the Union of Myanmar. At the Summit, the four Leaders adopted the Bagan Declaration, affirming their commitment to cooperate in five priority areas of cooperation, and endorsed the Economic Cooperation Strategy Plan of Action, under which 46 common projects and 224 bilateral projects were listed for implementation over the next ten years. The Leaders agreed to call this newly created economic cooperation framework the "Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy" or "ACMECS".
The joining of Vietnam with the group on 10 May 2004 has increased ACMECS to 5 member countries. The emphasis of ACMECS is on using self-help and partnership to achieve sustainable development, including poverty reduction
, in line with the UN Millennium Development Goals.
ACMECS is intended to act as a catalyst to build upon existing regional cooperation programs and complement bilateral frameworks with a view to transforming the border areas of the five countries into zones of economic growth, social progress and prosperity, and to blending local, national and regional interests for common benefits, shared prosperity, enhanced solidarity, peace, stability and good neighborliness.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
.
At the special ASEAN Summit
ASEAN Summit
The ASEAN Summit is an annual meeting held by the member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in relation to economic, and cultural development of Southeast Asian countries....
on SARS, held in Bangkok on 29 April 2003, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
raised the idea of establishing what was then called the “Economic Cooperation Strategy", with leaders of Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar.
The objectives of this new initiative are to bridge the economic gap among the four countries and to promote prosperity in the sub-region in a sustainable manner. Such prosperity, it is expected, will not only benefit the four countries, but also add value to ASEAN and its solidarity. It is hoped that a stronger Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand will also mean a stronger ASEAN. In this way the new cooperation framework is expected to act as a building block and move ASEAN forward at a more even pace, on the basis of self-reliance and shared prosperity.
Leaders of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand met for the first time on 12 November 2003 in Bagan, the Union of Myanmar. At the Summit, the four Leaders adopted the Bagan Declaration, affirming their commitment to cooperate in five priority areas of cooperation, and endorsed the Economic Cooperation Strategy Plan of Action, under which 46 common projects and 224 bilateral projects were listed for implementation over the next ten years. The Leaders agreed to call this newly created economic cooperation framework the "Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy" or "ACMECS".
The joining of Vietnam with the group on 10 May 2004 has increased ACMECS to 5 member countries. The emphasis of ACMECS is on using self-help and partnership to achieve sustainable development, including poverty reduction
Poverty reduction
Poverty is the state of human beings who are poor. That is, they have little or no material means of surviving—little or no food, shelter, clothes, healthcare, education, and other physical means of living and improving one's life....
, in line with the UN Millennium Development Goals.
ACMECS is intended to act as a catalyst to build upon existing regional cooperation programs and complement bilateral frameworks with a view to transforming the border areas of the five countries into zones of economic growth, social progress and prosperity, and to blending local, national and regional interests for common benefits, shared prosperity, enhanced solidarity, peace, stability and good neighborliness.
External links
- acmecs official website
- acmecsthailand Official ACMECS Business Council Website