Nay Pyi Taw, 2nd August 2021
Dr. Wah Wah Maung, Director General for the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations and CLMV SEOM Lead chaired the 21st Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting which was held via videoconference from 8 am to 12 noon, on 2nd August 2021. Senior economic officials from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam, and the representatives from ASEAN Secretariat participated at the meeting.
The senior economic officials discussed the matters on implementation status of CLMV Action Plan (2019-2020) and (2021-2022), the formulation of action plan to implement the Framework for CLMV Development.
The senior economic officials also exchanged views to strengthen sub-regional economic development cooperation and deliberate to hold trade fairs, trainings and workshops by using digital technology during the pandemic. They also discussed the program for the formulation of the Implementation Plan of the Framework for CLMV Development.
The implementation of Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan III (2016-2020) and commencement of the IAI Work Plan IV (2021-2025) was briefed by the ASEAN Secretariat. The representatives from GIZ also presented the implementation of “Promotion of Competitiveness within the Framework of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (COMPETE)”. Under the COMPETE project, GIZ (the Government of Germany) provided assistance to develop the competition sector and Trade in services sector in CLMV Countries. The meeting also discusses the preparation for the upcoming CLMV Economic Ministers’ Meeting which will be held in September 2021 under Myanmar’s CLMV Chairmanship.
In the afternoon, Director General, Dr. Wah Wah Maung joined the Third Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Economic Officials for the Fifty Second ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (SEOM 2/52) which will be held virtually from 2nd to 4th August 2021. The Meeting was chaired by Dr. May Fa'ezah Ahmad Ariffin, Permanent Secretary (Economy), Ministry of Finance & Economy, Brunei Darussalam, and attended by SEOM leads and their representatives from ASEAN Member States, Mr. Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General for ASEAN Economic Community and staffs from ASEAN Secretariat.
The senior economic officials openly discussed the progress of the Priority Economic Deliverables of Brunei Chairmanship, the implementation status of 2021 Annual Priorities under ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 2025 as well as the way forward of ASEAN Economic Community Mid-Term Review Recommendation. They provided the guidance on the specific issues raised by the sectorial bodies under the purview of SEOM.  They also exchanged views on the way forward  of Timor-Leste application for ASEAN Membership regard with economic agreements and preparation for the upcoming ASEAN Economic Ministers’ meeting in September.
Director General Dr. Wah Wah Maung will also participate at the meetings with senior economic officials from Canada, Korea,  Hong Kong, China, US, India, Russia, UK, Switzerland, Australia, NewZealand, Japan, plus three (Chia, Japan, Korea) , EU , and East Asian Countries which will be held on August 5, 11 and 16 respectively. The implementation status of free trade areas, economic cooperation program and the COVID-19 recovery plan will be discussed at the meetings.