GMS   ADB   IOM
About   |   News & Features   |   Contact            A   A   A

Home >

About the Greater Mekong Subregion

map of the GMS

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) comprises Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

In 1992, with ADB's assistance, the six countries entered into a program of subregional economic cooperation, designed to enhance economic relations among the countries.

 

The GMS Program

Since 1992, the countries of the GMS have embarked on a program of economic cooperation (the GMS Program) that aims to promote development through closer economic linkages.

The GMS Program, with support from ADB and other donors, helps the implementation of high priority subregional projects in transport, energy, telecommunications, environment, human resource development, tourism, trade, private sector investment, and agriculture.

Substantial progress has been achieved in terms of implementing GMS projects since 1992. Priority infrastructure projects worth around US$10 billion have either been completed or are being implemented. Among these are the upgrading of the Phnom Penh (Cambodia)-Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam) highway and the East-West Economic Corridor that will eventually extend from the Andaman Sea to Da Nang. A significant amount of resources has been mobilized for the GMS Program.

As of the end of 2008, the 41 GMS projects cost an estimated US$11 billion of which ADB has:

  • extended loans amounting to US$3.8 billion
  • generated US$4 billion in cofinancing for these investment projects
  • mobilized a total of US$208 million of grant resources, of which US$94.1 million have been provided by ADB, to finance 179 technical assistance projects focusing on human resource development, tourism, environment, trade and investment.

The program has contributed to the development of infrastructure to enable the development and sharing of the resource base, and promote the freer flow of goods and people in the subregion. It has also led to the international recognition of the subregion as a growth area.

 

⇒ See the GMS website
⇒ Download document on HIV and GMS Strategic Directions and Opportunities