In April 2018, Mekong Institute (MI) and the Ministry of Commerce of the Royal Government of Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the cooperation of four projects supported by the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund.
These projects aim to advance trade cooperation and economic progress in the Lancang-Mekong countries using a blend of capacity development activities including modular trainings, action research, business matching and trade promotion, policy consultations and business platform development.
MI acts as the implementing agency of these LMC Special Fund-supported projects.
The project is designed to support policy and structural reforms that will improve cross-border trade. It aims to promote trade along border trade zones that link the Lancang-Mekong countries; facilitate cross-border trade by increasing the capacity for commerce and reducing costs faced by traders; and enhance connectivity and improve competitiveness across international borders through improvements in infrastructure focused on facilitating cross-border trade and investment.
The project aims to promote special economic zones (SEZs) in the Lancang-Mekong countries and foster increased coordination among them; and boost trade and investment both from within and outside the sub-region.
This five-year initiative aims to facilitate business networking and boost the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises in the region through a series of business forums designed to:


The project seeks to promote increased awareness of rural e-commerce development in the Lancang-Mekong countries by: