The Government of Japan, as ACMECS Development Partner, has made a contribution of 1.38 million USD to the ACMECS Development Fund (ACMDF) with the objective for the implementation of the ACMECS Branding Project in support of business community and SMEs in the Mekong sub-region disrupted by the COVID-19 situation.

The said ACMECS Branding Project is the first of its kind and has significant implications to the sub-region in two folds. First, it is the first concrete cooperation project between ACMECS and Development Partner. The project is not only timely and in line with the ACMECS Master Plan 2019 – 2023, but it also responds to the needs of ACMECS Member Countries in supporting businesses in various sectors to overcome challenges in the time of the COVID-19 crisis. The private sector will benefit from many activities and initiatives, such as the setting up of information systems, capacity building and vocational training, business matching, digital transformation, and the adoption of modern technology. Second, the Project will further strengthen ACMECS and help the Mekong sub-region to recover in a more sustainable and resilient manner.

For Thailand’s national project under the ACMECS Branding Project, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand requested the Ministry of Industry of Thailand to undertake such an important project as the proponent agency. The Thai project aims at promoting businesses, capacities and networks of SMES in four target industries, namely agriculture, plastics and bioplastics, automotive and electronic appliances.

The Ayeyawady - Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) was established in 2003 by Thailand's initiative, with a view to promoting economic development and narrowing development gaps between 5 Member Countries which comprises Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam. It is the sole cooperation framework that embraces all Mekong countries as its members and setters of their own development agenda. In 2018, during Thailand's Chairmanship, Thailand and other ACMECS Member Countries jointly formulated the ACMECS Master Plan 2019 - 2023 with the goal to “Building ACMECS Connect by 2023”, initiated engagements with Development Partners and agreed on the establishment of the ACMECS Financial Mechanism. ACMDF is one of the key components of the Mechanism, which will raise funds from ACMECS Member Countries and Development Partners to finance development projects and connectivity in all dimensions in the Mekong sub-region.

Thailand firmly believes that a strong ACMECS is a mutual interest and key to peace, stability, and prosperity of ACMECS Member Countries and the people in the Mekong sub-region. Therefore, Thailand has always supported the advancement of ACMECS with continued dynamism, as well as coordinated and facilitated this important financial contribution by Japan for the implementation of the ACMECS Branding Project.