Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the virtual third Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting on August 24 (Photo: VNA)

Themed "Enhancing Partnership for Shared Prosperity", the meeting reviewed the MLC’s recent cooperation and discussed orientations to promote its collaboration in the coming period.

Regarding the cooperation results, the leaders highlighted important progress made since the second Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting such as progress in cooperation in Mekong River water management, including the organization of the first Ministerial Meeting of Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation, and the initiation of cooperation between the MLC and the Mekong River Commission. More than 300 technical assistance projects have been implemented with the support of the MLC Special Fund while the Mekong Research Centre and specialised cooperation centres were established.

Regarding the future cooperation orientations, the leaders reaffirmed their determination to jointly build a MLC region of peace, stability, sustainable development and prosperity; and agreed to promote cooperation on three specific pillars.

On security - politics, the countries agreed to maintain high-level exchanges; strengthen dialogue between political parties, parliarments, governments and localities; and promote cooperation in solving non-traditional security issues and in public health to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and restore economic growth. The meeting welcomed China's proposal to establish the MLC Special Fund for public health to support the regional countries’ response to the pandemic and the health sector later.

In terms of economy and sustainable development, the MLC countries will promote regional connectivity in both hard and soft infrastructure; facilitate investment trade and public-private cooperation; step up cooperation in rural development and poverty reduction, development of digital economy and science-technology, management and sustainable use of water resources in the Mekong River, environment and biodiversity protection.

Regarding culture - society and people-to-people exchange, they will implement educational cooperation activities and training programmes to develop high-quality human resources that meet market demand in the era of the fourth Industrial Revolution; while promoting tourism cooperation and cultural exchange.

They also agreed to make more effective use of the MLC Special Fund and improve the quality and practicality of the project, thereby bringing pragmatic benefits to the people of the six countries.

The leaders spent much time discussing cooperation in the management and use of water resources in the Mekong River. They agreed that in the face of the increasingly serious impacts of climate change, riparian countries should further promote the sharing of hydrological data of river basins, conduct joint research and policy dialogue, manage floods and droughts, and closely coordinate with the Mekong River Commission.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said China is ready to share the year-round hydrological data of the Lancang River, which is a section of the Mekong River flowing through the Chinese territory, and wishes to discuss the building of a channel sharing hydrological data between Mekong-Lancang countries and the implementation of joint cooperation projects on flood and natural disaster warning.

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc highlighted the criteria that the MLC needs to ensure to successfully realise the set objectives for a MLC region of peace, prosperity and sustainable development. They are cooperation on the basis of trust, sincere, and frank and friendly relations; ensuring the principles of equality, consensus, mutual benefit, and respect for international law; and taking people-centered and sustainable development as a consistent content.

He stressed the need to attach importance to finding solutions to common challenges and ensuring the legitimate interests of the member countries.

The MLC’s activities must be conducted on the basis of promoting the strengths of the member countries, he said, adding that the regional countries should work harmoniously with ASEAN and other Mekong cooperation mechanisms.

In the context of the region facing unprecedented challenges, the PM emphasised that the MLC should focus on cooperation to minimise the negative effects of the COVID-19 and prevent disruptions in the supply chain, as well as to meet the production and business needs of enterprises.

They need to share information on and experience in COVID-19 prevention and control in a regular, timely and transparent manner; and promote cooperation in vaccine production and facilitate vaccine access, Phuc said.

The country should also cooperate in the use and management of Mekong River water resources and seek long-term solutions to the sustainable development of the basin; share year-round hydrological information and data; strengthen the network of automatic water resources monitoring stations; consolidate natural disaster forecasting and warning systems; and coordinate with the Mekong River Commission and international partners.

At the end of the meeting, the leaders of the six member countries adopted the Vientiane Declaration and witnessed the transfer of the role of MLC co-chair from Laos to Myanmar.

Vietnam actively contributes to Mekong – Lancang cooperation: Deputy FM

As a reliable partner and responsible member of the international community, Vietnam has actively participated in and effectively contributed to the Mekong – Lancang Cooperation (MLC) mechanism from the very first days of its establishment, stated Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the virtual third Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Leaders' Meeting on August 24, Son said Vietnamese ministries and sectors have actively taken part in drafting documents in a constructive and cooperative spirit, for the common interests of the whole region.

At the event, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and senior leaders from other member countries discussed major issues affecting the region’s sustainable development and necessary solutions to related challenges, the Deputy FM stressed.

The meeting focused on reviewing the implementation of the first 5-year cooperation plan in the 2018-2022 period among its six member nations – China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, and their future cooperation orientations, he noted.

The leaders appreciated the practical and effective implementation of cooperation in the three key pillars of security and politics, economy and sustainable development, and cultural exchange between the MLC member countries, especially the MLC Plan of Action for 2018-2020, which has benefited people and enterprises.

The close and effective cooperation among the member nations was also shown clearly in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in recent times, he said.

The leaders also applauded achievements in the regional cooperation in the last two years, Son said, noting that the countries have implemented more than 300 technical assistance projects across areas, including trade, investment, tourism, agriculture, and water resources management.

A number of specialised cooperation centres such as the Global Centre for Mekong Studies, the Water Resources Cooperation Centre, the Centre for Environmental Cooperation, and the Centre for Agricultural Cooperation, were established and have seen stable operation, he said.

The leaders affirmed their determination to promote cooperation to address environmental and socio-economic challenges facing the countries, through expanding cooperation in the three main pillars and five priority areas, including connectivity, production capacity cooperation, cross-border economic cooperation, agriculture and poverty alleviation, and water resources management.

The highlights that were agreed upon by the leaders at the meeting include strengthening cooperation in public health to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic via joint research activities, policy dialogue and sharing experience in disease prevention and control, improving the capacity of the countries in handling urgent medical problems, and ensuring equal access to vaccines and medicine.

Development of infrastructure, digital economy and hi-tech agriculture, climate change adaptation, environmental management, ensuring stability of production and regional supply chains, and cooperation in education-training and human resources development were also key issues put on table, Son said.

According to Son, the meeting spent a lot of time discussing cooperation in managing water resources in the Mekong River, and the leaders agreed to further strengthen cooperation in managing and using the Mekong River water resources sustainably.

The six countries will organise a periodic MLC Ministerial Meeting on water resources cooperation, promote policy dialogue, share information, data and experience in cross-border water management, build a channel sharing information on water resources, conduct joint studies on Mekong River water resources and collaboration activities on climate change adaptation, hydropower dam safety, and flood and drought management.

The leaders also highly valued the proposal to set up a hydrological data centre and share data sources for the Mekong countries in the context of severe drought.

Thai PM proposes four Mekong-Lancang cooperation areas

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha proposed four major cooperation agenda in the virtual 3rd Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Leaders’ Meeting, chaired by Laos on August 24.

According to Thai Government Spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri, PM Prayut said the four areas of cooperation that Thailand attaches importance to include water resources management in the Mekong River, public healthcare cooperation, promotion of sub-regional connectivity, and post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

The leader spoke highly of the increasingly close cooperation among the MLC member nations, saying that the meeting demonstrates the commitment of all parties to continuously expand their cooperation in the context of a series of challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event serves as a forum for the countries to coordinate actions in order to turn challenges into opportunities for strengthening cooperation and partnerships, he said.

Thailand believes that the Vientiane Declaration will underline the MLC's collective commitment to further enhancing political and security cooperation, as well as in economic cooperation and sustainable development, among others, he stressed.

The MLC cooperation mechanism, grouping Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and China, was initiated by Thailand in 2012. Vietnam has actively participated in and made significant contributions to the mechanism. VNA