Ayeyawady - Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) is a cooperation framework amongst Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam to optimize the benefits from member countries’ diverse and complimentary economic strengths and to narrow economic disparity in the sub-region, which also contributes to the attainment of the ASEAN Community.

The first ACMECS Summit was held on 12 November 2003 in Bagan, Myanmar. The outcome of the meeting, the Bagan Declaration, established the ACMECS framework and laid the foundations for the Plan of Action covering five sectors of cooperation, namely, trade and investment facilitation, agricultural and industrial cooperation, transport linkages, tourism cooperation and human resource development. Later at the ACMECS Ministerial Meeting in August 2005, public health was established as the sixth sector of ACMECS cooperation.

Thailand hosted the second ACMECS Summit in Bangkok on 3 November 2005 to review progress on its implementation as well as to set its future course. ACMECS Leaders agreed on the Second ACMECS Summit Declaration to forge even closer cooperation in a forward-looking manner in order to meet the future needs of the sub-region. They also underscored the need for closer cooperation in dealing with trans-border diseases, especially Avian Influenza, by signing the Declaration on Partnership in Combating Avian Influenza and Other Infectious Diseases. In this regard, Thailand announced to allocate 2.5 million US dollar as a seed fund to support activities under the Declaration.

Later in January 2007, the ACMECS Leaders’ Mid term Review Informal Meeting was held in Cebu, as a sideline meeting to the ASEAN Summit. Leaders agreed to adopted the ACMECS Mid term Plan of Action

In 2008, the Third ACMECS Summit was held in Vietnam, the ACMECS Leaders’ Declaration was issued which demonstrates the intention of leaders to continue their support on ACMECS cooperation in Trade and Investment; Agriculture; Industry and Energy; Transport Linkages; Tourism; Human Resources Development and Public Health, as well as expressed their support for the establishment of Environment Cooperation as a new area of cooperation. 

On 6 October 2009 Thailand hosted the ACMECS Senior Officials’ Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.

To learn more about ACMECS:

About ACMECS

• Basic Documents
• Areas of Cooperation
• Thailand's Policy on ACMECS
• The Role of Thailand in ACMECS