During 3 – 6 March 2016, the Royal Thai Embassy, Yangon, hosted the 7^th Meeting of Thai Ambassadors and Consuls-General to CLMV Countries in Pyin Oo Lwin and Mandalay. Apart from Thai Ambassadors and Consuls-General to CLMV Countries, the 4-day programme was also joined by the Director-General of the Department of East Asian Affairs, the Director-General of Thailand’s International Development Agency, representative of the Office of Policy and Planning as well as the Deputy Chief Mission, Royal Thai Embassy, Kuala Lumpur.

Ambassdor Pisanu Suvanajata, Thai Ambassador to Myanmar, as the host, chaired a meeting session on 4 March 2016 in Pyin Oo Lwin. The participants constructively shared the recent political and economic developments in the region and discussed ways and means for Thailand to further strengthen the close and cordial relations between Thailand and CLMV Countries. The meeting covered wide range of issues, including enhancing connectivity, promoting responsible investment, increasing people-to-people contacts and streamlining development assistance with the ultimate goal of achieving a region of peace and prosperity for the mutual interest of Thailand and her neighbours.

On 5 March 2016, H.E. Dr. Htay Aung, Minister of Hotels and Tourism of Myanmar, also gave the delegation a great honour by giving a talk on Myanmar’s tourism strategy. His creative visions and ideas helped shed light on how the countries in the mainland Southeast Asia could join hands in promoting tourism in this vibrant region. The session was then followed by a visit to the Mandalay Region Chamber and Commerce and Industry (MRCCI) where the participants received a briefing by representatives of MRCCI and the Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration of Myanmar (DICA) on Myanmar’s investment opportunities and two-polar growth strategy that positions Mandalay as a growth centre in the Upper Myanmar alongside Yangon in the south.

At the beginning of the programme on 3 March 2016, Ambassador Pisanu along with the distinguished participants also took this opportunity to pay a study visit to Yadanabon Cyber City in Anesakhan to learn how the Myanmar Government has been preparing the country’s foundation for the development of IT and software industries in the same manner as Silicon Valley in the United States. .

The Meeting of Thai Ambassadors and Consuls-General to CLMV Countries is regularly held 2 times a year as a platform for the Thai envoys to CLMV Countries to share information, update themselves with regional developments on the ground, and put forward recommendations on Thailand policy’s towards neighbouring countries. The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Savannakhet will host the next meeting in the end of 2016.