The Throne Hall inside the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo by J. Duque-Comia.

The summit is the highest forum in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program where the leaders from the six GMS countries can (i) review and assess the progress made under the program; (ii) renew their commitment to subregional cooperation and its goals; (iii) provide support at the highest political level to the program, its projects, and activities; and (iv) provide broad directions for landmark initiatives under the GMS Program. GMS summits are normally held every 3 years.

The Seventh GMS Summit of Leaders, hosted by the Government of Cambodia, carried the theme “GMS: Renewed Strength to Face the Challenges of the New Decade.” It was held on 9 September 2021, and attended by GMS countries’ heads of Governments and ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa. Cambodia Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen chaired the meeting.

The Summit endorsed and adopted the GMS Economic Cooperation Program Strategic Framework 2030 (GMS-2030) and the GMS COVID-19 Response and Recovery Plan 2021-2023, which supplements GMS-2030. The Leaders also assessed progress made under the GMS Program, including joint and collaborative actions taken by the GMS countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that posed severe challenges to the subregion. The Leaders renewed their commitment to work together and cooperate even more closely and strongly toward the realization of the GMS vision of a more integrated, prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive GMS. The new strategy, GMS-2030, ushers GMS to its fourth decade, supporting the Program's aim to further enhance community, connectivity, and competitiveness, while promoting environmental sustainability and resilience, enhanced internal and external integration, and inclusivity.

GMS countries acknowledged the continued and committed assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other development partners to the GMS Program, providing significant financial and knowledge support, with ADB providing $4 billion of its funds for GMS projects in the last three years and helping generate $1.2 billion from other Development Partners and the private sector. ADB President Asakawa in his speech reiterated that ADB will continue to play a central role in coordinating the GMS Program.