MI HOLDS PREPARATORY MEETINGS WITH IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES OF THE ACMECS-ROK REGIONAL BRANDING PROJECT TO WORK TOWARDS FACILITATING CROSS-BORDER TRADE THROUGH SYNCHRONIZED RULES AND REGULATIONS.

Trade and Investment Facilitation

From March 20 – 29, 2023, Mekong Institute (MI) organized a series of preparatory meetings as part of the “ACMECS-ROK Regional Branding Project on Facilitating Cross-Border Trade through Synchronization of Rules and Regulations in the ACMECS” to discuss overall strategy with the project implementing agencies (PIAs). Funded by the Republic of Korea (ROK), the project intervention is expected to result in harmonized cross-border trade within the five Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) countries, namely Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam (CLMTV). 

From May 2023 – April 2024, MI’s main task is to coordinate the overall implementation, monitor the progress and report on the project activities to the ACMECS Senior Officials Meeting (SOM). The regional activities will be facilitated and monitored by MI’s Trade and Investment Facilitation (TIF) Department Director, Mr. Madhurjya Kumar Dutta while PIAs from the ACMECS countries, comprising the ministries of Industry / Commerce in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand, and the Ministry of Information and Communication in Viet Nam, will lead all approved project activities at the national levels.

The one-year project aims to address common issues in ACMECS related to cross-border trade through a common intervention strategy that will improve trade by synchronizing rules and regulations. During the course of implementation, ACMECS PIAs will collaborate through joint activities to draw on inputs, and share country situations and best practices to contribute to the overall goal.

The PIAs will deliver specific activities contributing to the project outcomes on digital and paperless trade, interconnected smart sustainable cities, value-added agricultural products for enhanced regional trade, feasibility of the establishment of a Common Control Area aimed at contributing to the promotion of ACMECS policy harmonization toward a freer flow of goods, services, investment and people.

Established in 2003, ACMECS has the aim to work towards achieving the following:
(i) Seamless Connectivity, (ii) Synchronized ACMECS, and (iii) Smart and Sustainable ACMECS. It acts as a de facto “land bridge” linking economies and markets and plays an important role in complementing and promoting intra-regional, ASEAN and inter-regional connectivity through a synchronized effort by the governments of five Mekong riparian countries.

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Mrs. Guohua Liu

Director, Sustainable Energy & Environment (SEE) Department

Mrs. Liu Guohua is the Director of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Department at the Mekong Institute. Prior to this role, she worked in the Department of International Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, where she played a key role in shaping and implementing China’s cooperation strategies with UN development agencies. During this time, Mrs. Liu was actively involved in advancing initiatives related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on climate change and green development. Additionally, she contributed to the evaluation of projects funded by various Chinese initiatives, such as the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund, etc.

In addition to her work in the Department of International Economic Affairs, Mrs. Liu has an extensive diplomatic background. She spent 7 years in the Department of African Affairs, followed by a 4-year tenure at the Chinese Embassy in Lao PDR, where she gained deep expertise in both Southeast Asian and African affairs. These diverse experiences have played a crucial role in shaping her approach to sustainable development and international collaboration, particularly in building regional partnerships and tackling global challenges like climate change.

She holds a Master’s degree in Economics, with a specialization in Finance, from the Central University of Finance and Economics, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, specializing in International Economics and Trade, from the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.