The Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) was launched by ASEAN Heads of State/ Government at the Fourth ASEAN Informal Summit in 2000, to narrow the development gap and strengthen ASEAN’s competitiveness as a region. The strategy for implementation of the IAI was defined in the 2001 Ha Noi Declaration on Narrowing the Development Gap for closer ASEAN Integration. The IAI serves as a key framework for regional integration and cooperation through which ASEAN Member States (AMS) and ASEAN Partners could extend infrastructure development, technical assistance and capacity-building support to the newer AMS – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam (CLMV) countries.