Therefore, it would be the existence of the higher service-link costs that prevent the
Mekong region from being fully involved in international production network, and
thus from creating full-fledged, two-way trade integration. This interpretation would
also be consistent the suggestions of ADB (2007): the GMS cooperation has still much
room to facilitate the software components of cooperation, while the GMS projects had
so far placed much emphasis on the need to remove the physical barriers
to sub-regional cooperation. In this context, ADB (2007) recommended “enhancing
efforts to promote private sector participation” for investment promotion and trade
facilitation in the GMS.