Leaders from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand agreed to strengthen economic, trade, investment and agriculture cooperation, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said.

Leaders of the five ACMECS countries held a successful dialogue with firms in an effort to boost the partnership between the governments and the business community, he said. The five prime ministers agreed at the event to adopt the ACMECS Leaders’ Declaration on Facilitation and Promotion of Trade, Investment and Tourism to create a favorable business environment in border areas, strengthen the ACMECS Business Council, and facilitate foreign direct investment, particularly within the group, he said.

Discussing agriculture, he said, they agreed to encourage cooperation in technology transfer and animal disease control, improve cross-border quarantine procedures, tackle challenges and risks arising from cooking crises, and ensure food security.

Acknowledging the importance of environmental protection, the prime ministers agreed to establish working groups, he said.

They also agreed to encourage feasibility studies and the application and production of biofuels in member-countries, facilitate investment in energy projects - particularly hydro power - and oil and gas exploration, build power transmission lines between the countries, and strengthen investment in industrial infrastructure, he said.

They emphasized the importance of transport infrastructure linkages to member’s socio-economic development, Dung said.

Cambodia is scheduled to host the next summit in 2010.

Reported by Bao Van