The workshop brought together nearly 120 delegates, including leading academics, scientists and experts from the three Indochinese countries.

President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) Nguyen Xuan Thang emphasized at the opening ceremony that the dynamic development of ASEAN, including the three Indochinese countries, and the greater Mekong sub-region is important for mobilizing financial resources, technical support and technology for development.

Trends for regional cooperation and economic linkages have developed vigorously in recent times, and the Greater Mekong Sub-region is no exception, said Thang.

He noted the GMS cooperation requires the establishment of connections in various areas, including social sciences, and in fact such connectivity has taken centre stage in many cooperation frameworks between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

This process requires close coordination and concerted efforts from relevant parties to ensure a balance between economic growth and social welfare, environmental protection and climate change adaptation.

The VASS leader praised the results of cooperation in social sciences among the three Indochinese countries, considering it a macro-level cooperation model, aimed at developing the economy, social affairs and the environment in a sustainable manner, while sharing common interests in natural resources, human resources and cross-border trade and investment.

In addition to bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and Laos and Vietnam and Cambodia, the three countries have strengthened cooperation within the framework of ASEAN, the Mekong River Commission (MRC), the Greater Mekong Sub-region, the Ayeyawady - Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), and Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV).

The workshop is part of a memorandum of understanding on scientific cooperation between the VASS, the Lao National Social Science Institute and the Royal Academy of Cambodia.

(VietNamNet/VOV online)