The second Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Leaders’ Meeting opened on January 10 in Phnom Penh, bringing together leaders of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, and China.

The MLC is held every 2 years and member countries take turns hosting. Cambodia and China co-organize this year’s conference. Mekong-Lancang cooperation focuses on the management of water resources, connection in production, border economic cooperation, agriculture, and poverty reduction.

Participants will review cooperation progress made since the 1st conference, discuss future orientations, and approve documents, including a Phnom Penh Declaration and a Mekong-Lancang Action Plan until 2022.

The Mekong Subregion has many development opportunities but it must also meet challenges in security, environment, water resources, and climate change. Mekong-Lancang cooperation can play an important role in promoting sustainable development in the subregion, strengthening neighborliness among members, helping each country implement the 2030 Agenda, and deepening the ASEAN-China strategic partnership.

At the first summit in 2016, 6 countries agreed on major orientations for a cooperation mechanism. 

Since then members have established dialogue mechanisms including high-level, ministerial, and senior officials meetings, and cooperation and research centers on water resources and the environment of the Mekong and Lancang river. 

Joint projects have been carried out, such as the Forum of Women’s Cooperation, the Forum of Lanchang-Mekong Tourist Cities Cooperation, and the Mekong-Lancang Special Cooperation Fund.  

Promoting Mekong-Lancang cooperation will require a practical approach, and a harmonious combination of mechanisms and cooperation frameworks. Greater effort should be invested in management and use of Mekong water, economic connectivity, sustainable agricultural production, trade circulation, and cross-border investment and tourism.

Vietnam has actively participated in Mekong-Lancang cooperation since the early days. Vietnam’s initiatives on water resource cooperation and economic connectivity have been acknowledged by other countries and in the Sanya Declaration and other documents of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation.

Vietnam has proposed projects that match Mekong-Lancang’s priorities on flood and drought management and harmonization of criteria and procedures.

The country has worked with China and other Mekong Subregion countries to establish a center for Mekong-Lancang water resource cooperation to share information and improve management capability.

As a responsible member,  it will cooperate with other Mekong-Lancang countries to apply new technology, improve productivity, form agricultural value chains toward sustainable agriculture, ensure food security and water resource.  

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s participation shows Vietnam’s respect for Mekong-Lancang cooperation, promote common contents suitable to Vietnam’s interests, strengthen its solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia and strategic comprehensive cooperation with China.

Source: vov.vn