MIFER Deputy Minister-led delegation attends 27th GMS Ministerial Conference and related meetings

ACCORDING to the invitation of Mr Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), to Union Minister for Investment and Foreign Eco­nomic Relations, GMS Minister of Myanmar, to attend the 27th GMS Ministerial Conference and related meetings to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 27 to 28 November 2025, on behalf of Union Minister, the Myanmar delegation led by Deputy Minis­ter U Thant Sin Lwin attended those meetings.

 

During the GMS Business Forum High-Level Policy Dia­logue in the afternoon of 27 No­vember, GMS ministers, deputy ministers, and representatives from the GMS Business Coun­cils of member countries openly exchanged their views and dis­cussed the ways to cooperate the challenges and obstacles en­countered while implementing the activities in priority sectors of the GMS Programme and the potential approaches which can cooperate effectively between the governments and private sectors.

 

Afterwards, ministers and deputy ministers discussed in an open and frank manner how the GMS economic cooperation programme could be utilized to enhance the private sector en­gagement and strengthen the local government engagement at the Ministerial Retreat held on the morning of 28 November.

 

At the 27th GMS Ministerial Meeting held with the theme: “Fostering Inclusive Growth, Balanced Development, and Prosperity through Integrating Local Government and Private Sector in the GMS”, heads of delegations from GMS member countries and the vice-president of the Asian Development Bank delivered their brief statements during the opening session.

 

At the plenary meeting, GMS ministers and deputy min­isters discussed and reviewed the Senior Officials’ Meeting Chair’s report, the Development Partners’ Meeting, the Business Council Report and also the Lo­cal Governments’ Meeting Re­port.

 

The 27th GMS Ministerial Conference was chaired by Mr Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Minis­ter of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, the host country, and co-chaired by Mr Scott Morris, Vice-Presi­dent, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific of the Asian De­velopment Bank (ADB).

 

It was attended by the GMS minister of Cambodia via vir­tual conference and in person by GMS ministers, deputy min­isters, national coordinators, senior officials, private sector representatives from the other member countries – China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, representatives from ADB and development partner organizations, totalling about 150 participants.

 

The Myanmar delegation, led by the deputy Minister, departed Myanmar on 26 No­vember 2025 and returned to Myanmar in the morning of 29 November 2025. At this year’s Ministerial Conference, Private Sector Engagement in the Great­er Mekong Subregion, GMS Re­gional Investment Framework 2026-2028 and the Joint Minis­terial Statement were also en­dorsed. — MIFER