On 29 - 30 November 2018, the Department of International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand hosted the ACMECS Special Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) and the ACMECS Senior Finance Officials’ Meeting (FSOM) at Siam Kempinski Hotel, Bangkok. The Meeting was attended by ACMECS Senior Officials and Senior Finance Officials, as well as officials from related ACMECS line agencies. The Meeting discussed (1) engagement with ACMECS Development Partners (2) implementation of the future work of ACMECS, namely identifying the workplan of the 3 Coordinating Committees and (3) setting up of the ACMECS Fund. 

 

      Mr. Arthayudh Srisamoot, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered the welcoming remarks stating that the Special SOM meeting marks a milestone for ACMECS as it is the first meeting following the 8th ACMECS Summit in Bangkok in June 2018. Therefore, it is a great opportunity for the ACMECS family to discuss the implementation of the ACMECS Master Plan as well as reaffirm Thailand’s commitment to drive forward ACMECS in a concrete manner. 

 

      The Meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Vilawan Mangklatanakul, Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs, and Dr. Sok Siphana, Senior Advisor to the Royal Government of Cambodia.       

 

      The Meeting discussed and agreed on the following points:

 

      1. The Meeting agreed in principle to the draft Concept Paper and Terms of Reference (TOR) on ACMECS Development Partners engagement, which will become an official working document in engaging with Development Partners.The meeting also agreed in principle to the list of potential Development Partners as well as the tentative workplan for 2019 of the 3 Coordinating Committees under the ACMECS Master Plan. In this regard, 2 SOM Meetings will take place in Cambodia while the ACMECS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will be hosted in August 2019 in Thailand, back-to-back with the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM).  

 

      2. ACMECS Senior Finance Officials’ Meeting (FSOM) on 30 November 2018, co-chaired by the Deputy Director of the Fiscal Policy Officer, Ministry of Finance of Thailand, and the Cambodian FSOM, and presided over by the Special SOMs of Thailand and Cambodia. The Meeting discussed the draft Concept Note on Financing Mechanism under the ACMECS Master Plan drafted by Thailand.The Meeting further agreed on the setting up of (1) an ACMECS Fund, the contribution by Development Partners and the Funding mechanism and (2) a Parallel Operation which will be ACMECS Infrastructure Financing Facility and Project - based Financing Facility. It has also been agreed that the Senior Finance Officials’ Meeting (FSOM) shall be held back-to-back with the 3 Coordinating Committees in March in Cambodia to further discuss the progress and developments of the ACMECS Fund and its Parallel Operation. 

 

      Thailand’s organization of this Special SOM Meeting has further contributed to its success in enhancing ACMECS Cooperation and generated concrete outcomes for the implementation of the ACMECS Master Plan, especially in the areas of Engagement with Development Partners and the setting up of a modern, transparent and sustainable financing mechanism to support the implementation of the Master Plan. This meeting provided a good opportunity for the ACMECS line agencies of the 3 pillars to meet and establish contacts, which will lead to more effective and synchronized ACMECS cooperation.