On 14 October 2024, Ms. Rujikorn Saengchantr, Acting Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs and Thailand’s SOM Leader for Mekong Cooperation, led a Thai delegation to attend the Ayeyawady – Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Senior Officials’ Meeting held in Vientiane and hosted by the Senior Official of Lao PDR in its capacity as the ACMECS Chair.

The Meeting took note of the progress reports of the implementation of projects under the 3 pillars of ACMECS Master Plan (2019-2023) and agreed to extend the period of the Master Plan as the cooperation listed are still in line with the current regional and global contexts. The Meeting also took note of the work of ACMECS Interim Secretariat (AIS), especially the launching ceremony of the ACMECS logo and website in July this year in Bangkok.

In addition, the Meeting also discussed the progress of the establishment of the ACMECS Development Fund (ACMDF), the endorsement of additional ACMECS Development Partners (DPs), as well as the preparation for the 10th ACMECS Summit, which will be hosted by Lao PDR as the ACMECS Chair, back-to-back to the 8th Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit in Kunming, China, early November this year.

ACMECS is a Mekong sub-regional cooperation framework initiated by Thailand in 2003 to enhance competitiveness, economic growth and job opportunities as well as narrow economic development gaps among five Member Countries, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.