The July 8 event, titled “Mekong Forum 2015 – Modernising the GMS towards post-AEC 2015”, was hosted by the Mekong Institute (MI). It was organised to enable development collaboration within the GMS and Asean, while also making policy recommendations for governments to implement as they draw nearer to the start of the AEC.

Energy Minister Narongchai Akrasanee, also a member of MI’s steering panel, said the mission was to prepare for development in six countries Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and southern China linked by the Mekong River.

With member countries having seen many changes in a range of areas including the labour market, it was crucial for the Institute to embrace all facets that will come in the future, such as technology, which has played an important role in society, with tools now cheaper and more accessible, he said. So, the conference aimed to prepare people to cater to modern demands and technology, notably in the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) group that has many young citizens and immense natural resources.