MEKONG COUNTRIES CALL FOR $66 BILLION INVESTMENTS

THE LEADERS of the six countries along the Mekong River on Saturday adopted an ambitious investment plan worth $66 billion over the next five years.

At least $7 billion will come from the Asian Development Bank and the rest from government and private sectors.

The plan was adapted at a summit in Vietnam, that included the prime ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as vice president of Myanmar and the Chinese foreign minister.

The Greater Mekong Sub-regional [GMS] economic cooperation was initiated by the ADB in 1992 and has since mobilized $21 billion, with the bulk going to infrastructure projects.

''GMS is starting a new era of development with unprecedented opportunities and challenges us to have a creative approach with long term and comprehensive vision in order to-

Tap into the internal power of each country while effectively promoting connectivity to create strength resonance among the GMS for rapid economic growth and-

Harmonizing economic and social development with environmental protection,'' Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in his opening remarks.

The five countries along with China's Yunnan province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region with the population of  340 million and combined GDP of  $1.3 trillion have recorded one of the world's fastest growing economies.

Closing the one-day summit, Phuc said cooperation will remain the driving force in the region's development. [Agencies].