Participants focused their discussions on increasing cooperation in trade and investment, industry-energy, transportation, tourism, agriculture, health care, and human resource development. They highlighted practical achievements made by ACMECS countries after five years of implementing cooperation programmes.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Doan Xuan Hung and it is essential to encourage investment attraction in the region and enhance cooperation with other partners.
Delegates looked at tourism promotion activities, including the initiative “Five countries, One destination”, aimed at connecting cultural and natural heritage sites in ACMECS member countries.

They agreed that in the current context when Mekong sub-region countries are entering a new dynamic development period with opportunities and challenges, ACMECS member countries should increase the effectiveness of their cooperation in all fields.

They underlined the need to select preferential projects to call for investment and encourage businesses to boost cooperation within ACMECS framework while promoting dialogue between the business community and the government.

They reached a consensus on the agenda of the 3rd ACMECS Summit to take place at the National Conference Centre in Hanoi on November 7, 2008 and the joint statement of ACMECS leaders on trade, investment and tourism promotion to be submitted to the Summit for approval.

On this occasion, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Vietnam and Thailand on vocational training development in ACMECS member countries. The MoU aims to establish a necessary framework for implementing cooperation programmes between Vietnam and Thailand in vocational training development for the ACMECS countries.

ACMECS (the Ayayewady - Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy) of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Vietnam became an official member of ACMECS at the first ACMECS Ministerial Meeting in Thailand in November 2004.