by Tao Jun, Bui Long

HANOI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Strengthening infrastructure connectivity, facilitating border trade and addressing environment issues should be the focus of Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries in the near future, an official of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said.

"First of all, GMS countries and their development partners should strengthen infrastructure connectivity," Nguyen Minh Cuong, head of GMS Unit, Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division, Southeast Asia Department of ADB told Xinhua earlier this week.

"Secondly, GMS countries and development partners should bolster cooperation on facilitating transport and trade to gradually remove obstacles to the movement of goods, transport and services in the region, eventually bringing into play one of the biggest competitive advantages of the GMS -- border trade," Cuong said.

According to the ADB official, the GMS is the only area in Asia that has the most comprehensive pact on accelerating cross-border transport.

"Thirdly, the GMS countries and development partners should center on addressing issues related to the environment, health care and labor, mainly because stronger connectivity also creates favorable conditions for the spread of diseases through movement of labor, including migrants, and goods," Cuong said.

Meanwhile, he said the GMS countries are facing three major challenges related to infrastructure linkage, value chain engagement, and the fourth industrial revolution.

"Their infrastructure connectivity has yet to be completed, especially in Myanmar. The transport network is road-dominated, railway infrastructure is outdated, and connectivity between seaports and inland container depots with production centers and big cities is underdeveloped," Cuong said.

Another challenge lies in deeper integration into value chains, development of logistics facilities and strong participation from the private sector.

Meanwhile, issues including climate change, rapid spread of disease due to shared borders, and high numbers of unskilled migrant workers are also to be addressed.

"In addition, the industrial revolution 4.0 poses a big challenge to the GMS. Information technology cooperation in the GMS is still weak and in need of a strong boost in the future," the ADB official said.

The ADB official voiced his high appreciation of China's role in the GMS.

"The GMS has a big potential for trade and economic development. China is now the world's second-biggest economy, so it is creating favorable conditions for trade and investment in the GMS to thrive," Cuong said.

According to Cuong, the GMS countries boast huge market and favorable conditions for border trade development.

GMS countries have long roads and borders, creating favorable conditions for developing border trade, especially border trade between China and Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, and between Laos and Thailand, the ADB official said.

"The GMS is prioritizing development of 17 border economic zones to foster trade and investment linkages," Cuong said.

Thanks to these advantages, the GMS countries have reaped many benefits in many spheres, with the economic field being the most outstanding one.

"GMS countries' economies have changed spectacularly and have become stronger," the ADB official said, noting that most of them used to be less developed countries, but now have become lower level middle-income countries.

"The second most outstanding achievement of the GMS is that it has created a regional integration window, especially for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam," Cuong said. Enditem