Ho Chi Minh City will host the 2nd Summit of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) on April 5, focusing on trans-national cooperation in sustainable water resource development in the Mekong River.

>> Vietnam launches activities for World Water Day Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will attend the event, which gathers leaders from the four MRC member countries, including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. The summit will be also attended by representatives from China and Myanmar – the two MRC dialogue partners – development donors, non-government organizations, and international agencies. The event will create a chance for MRC leaders to review their commitments made four years ago on a number of key issues facing the Mekong Basin and the MRC, and to agree on effective ways to resolve them. The meeting will also set out prioritized fields in MRC activities, especially in ensuring water resource, energy and food security. A joint declaration is expected to be issued at the summit. Before this summit, an international conference will be held in the southern Vietnamese city from April 2 to 3 to discuss regional and international topical issues, such as water resources, energy and food security, risk management, and climate change adaptation. The MRC Summit is convened every four years, with the first held on April 5, 2010 in Hua Hin, Thailand on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin.