GMS Contents

In a significant move to enhance their cultural and tourism cooperation, Viet Nam and Laos held a series of discussions this week to solidify their partnership. 

Viet Nam is set to begin construction of a new 417-kilometer railway line connecting the northern port city of Haiphong to Kunming, People’s Republic of China (PRC), via Hanoi and Lao Cai Province. The initiative, with an estimated investment of about US$11 billion, aims to bolster trade and tourism between the two countries by enhancing connectivity and facilitating smoother transportation of goods and people.

On 9 January, Laos and Viet Nam officially launched a cross-currency transaction service, connecting their cross-border retail payment systems via QR codes.

Authorities of the northern border province of Lang Son and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China held an online signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop a pilot smart border gate.

From 2015 to 2020, ADB pioneered a regional technical assistance project, funded by the Nordic Development Fund, to help countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion better understand the link between climate change and human health and explore ways to enhance health system capacities to respond to climate-induced health threats.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Viet Nam has initiated a Digital Transformation Project for the Agriculture sector for 2021–2025, with a view to 2030. This project is built on three foundational pillars: digital government, digital agricultural economy, and digital countryside, all aimed at fostering the emergence of "digital farmers."

The GMs Energy Transition Task Force (ETTF) met in Siem Reap on 4-5 December 2023 to discuss updates and plans related to its work streams, including trends, opportunities and related initiatives in the region.

The meeting agreed on these next steps for 2024.