The Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. V. Muraleedharan, suggested that Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV countries) join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Resilient Supply Chain Initiative (RSCI).
Both India and the CLMV region are actively involved in innovating renewable energy sources and partnerships to penetrate global value chains.
This new alliance could help promote connectivity to boost trade with the region. The CLMV region within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises its newest, lowest income, and formerly closed-economy members spoke V Muraleedharan, the Minister of State for External Affairs. The Minister was speaking at the Índia-CLMV Business Conclave 2020 – “Building Bridges for Constructive Development” organized by the Commerce & Industry Ministry and the industry body, Confederation of Indian Industries, CII.
Regarding India’s cooperation with the CLMV region on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister stated that India provided medicines and medical supplies to the region and provided trained medical personnel under the I -TEC scheme. According to a statement from the CII, the Minister remarked, “India seeks to enhance its cooperation and collaboration with the CLMV region in terms of developing a vaccine for COVID 19 and is willing to share the vaccine as and when it is ready.”
The Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Mr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, highlighted the need to promote connectivity with the CLMV region and emphasize its rail networks be strengthened to help promote tourism in the Buddhist circuit.
He emphasized, “Efforts are underway to operationalize vital infrastructure links between CLMV countries and India for better economic integration. The Trilateral Highway, connecting India, Myanmar, and Thailand, will serve as a lifeline for India’s Mekong and North-East region. Proposals are currently underway to extend the highway to Laos.”
The Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Lao People’s Republic, Khemmani Pholsena, stressed that India and the CLMV countries need to work together to improve agriculture productivity, promote infrastructure development within the region and enhance the ease of doing business by promoting trade facilitation. She also reiterated that IT, renewable energy, drugs, pharmaceuticals, and infrastructure development needed attention in close detail.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chhuon Dara, the Secretary of State, Ministry of Commerce from the Kingdom of Cambodia, spoke about the need to improve trade facilitation, logistics availability, and the creation of a single-window clearance mechanism to help boost trade between India and the region. India also needs to support the CLMV countries in the e-commerce and digital economy fields and promote regional energy connectivity.