Addressing the 12th Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in Bangkok, on August 3 within the framework of the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Minh proposed several aspects that the Japan-Mekong cooperation should focus on, including supporting Mekong countries in responding to climate change and managing and using Mekong River sources sustainably.

The foreign ministers of Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam agreed that the Mekong-Japan cooperation has contributed significantly to development and prosperity in the region.

The ministers agreed to strengthen connectivity collaboration, while stressing the importance of promoting economic development in tandem with protecting the environment, reducing disaster risks, adapting to climate change, and managing and using Mekong River sources sustainably.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh led the Vietnamese delegation to the 9th Mekong-RoK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting that took place on the sidelines of the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Foreign ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam

appreciated the Republic of Korea’s contributions to the Mekong region through official development assistance and a Cooperation Fund.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Minh proposed some priority cooperation fields for the coming time such as dialogue, manpower training and technology transfer in the field of green growth and agricultural cooperation.

Concluding the meeting, the officials adopted the co-chairs’ statement and agreed to hold the next Meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vietnam in 2020.