PROJECT BACKGROUND Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are essential for economic growth, especially in the ASEAN and Lancang-Mekong (LM) regions. With around 5,400 SEZs worldwide, over 3,000 are located in the LM region, which includes Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. These zones aim to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), boost export-oriented growth, create …

The SEZs Promotion for Intra-Regional Trade and Investment in Lancang-Mekong Region Project Read More »

PROJECT BACKGROUND The Lancang-Mekong Countries (LMC) — Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam — are increasingly interconnected through transport, trade, and tourism. Among these sectors, transport plays a central role in driving economic growth and enhancing regional competitiveness. Improved transport and communication infrastructure, combined with more effective information exchange, are essential for …

Transport and Logistics Information System in Lancang-Mekong Region Read More »

BACKGROUND Sub-regional cooperation among Mekong countries is essential for advancing regional integration and community building. To support this goal, the Republic of Korea (ROK) launched the Mekong-ROK Partnership in 2011, followed by the establishment of the Mekong–Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund (MKCF) in 2013. The MKCF supports collaborative initiatives across seven priority areas outlined in …

Capacity Building on Regional Project Design, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation of MKCF Projects (PRIME Project) Read More »

BACKGROUND Japanese companies have long led the manufacturing sector across Mekong countries, developing local supply chains with SMEs to engage in the global market. However, the push for global decarbonization requires these supply chains to adopt Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles to remain competitive. A major challenge is the lack of knowledge among SMEs …

MEKONG SUSTAIN: Mekong Sustainable Supply Chains Transformation and Advancement Read More »

(In collaboration with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Thailand; Duration: May 2023 – June 2024) PROJECT BACKGROUND As the ACMECS Countries rapidly develop, international trade and investment are becoming critical factors for the region to achieve economic growth and improve living standards. Efficient border trade facilitation, reducing time and costs at borders, is crucial …

FACILITATING CROSS BORDER TRADE THROUGH SYNCHRONIZATION OF RULES AND REGULATIONS IN THE ACMECS Read More »

BACKGROUND The creative industry plays a vital role in boosting the cultural tourism sector in the Mekong countries, significantly contributing to their economies. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted this sector. Heritage sites, in particular, are experiencing slower recovery compared to other areas and varies among the countries due to differences in economic development …

Promoting Creative Industry for Heritage Tourism Development in the Mekong Region Read More »

(Supported by: World Bank; Duration: December 2015 – July 2016) The project developed 16 training packages on trade-related subjects and introduced ToT courses for the officials of the Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia. Project Duration : December 2015 – July 2016

(Supported by GIZ; Duration: 2018-2019)The six-month research study intends to gain an insight knowledge regarding the competitiveness of Lao enterprises in selected sectors in the ASEAN context. More specifically, it seeks to grasp the situation of Lao enterprises in specific sectors whether they have the ability to compete with business firms in the regional level …

THE COMPETITIVENESS OF LAO ENTERPRISES IN ASEAN Read More »

(Supported by: Trade Policy and Strategy Office, Ministry of Commerce, Thailand; Duration: September 25, 2017 to October 6, 2017) MI’s “Regional Training cum Business Networking on Sustainable Transport and Logistics Planning and Management” deepened the skills of 55 senior and mid-level officials from government and the private sector on transport and logistics management. From September …

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT Read More »

(Supported by: Switch Asia Fund of the European Union Duration: 2016-2018) The freight and logistics sector supports economic development in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Against this background, the efficiency, environmental performance and safety of dangerous goods transport of the sector become important to ensure countries continue to grow, increase the welfare, maintain their economic …

GREEN FREIGHT TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS IN THE MEKONG REGION Read More »