Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that six Mekong-Lancang countries should jointly invest in the Mekong-Lancang River region so that it can achieve modernity and development; green, sustainable, and inclusive growth; as well as peace and cooperation while addressing the fourth Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Leaders’ Meeting held via videoconference on Monday.

The virtual meeting, themed ‘Join Hands on the Building of a Community of Shared Future and Modernization among Mekong-Lancang Countries,’ was attended by government leaders and officials from the six Mekong-Lancang countries including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and China.

The leaders reviewed the outcomes of the MLC over the past three years and discussed cooperation plans for the upcoming period.

They also highlighted significant contributions of the MLC toward the peace, cooperation, and development of the Mekong sub-region as well as affirmed their further joint efforts to build a community of shared future, peace, and prosperity among the Mekong-Lancang countries.

Speaking at the meeting, PM Chinh stressed the importance of the MLC mechanism, which connects Mekong countries with China and serves as a model for mutual development and win-win cooperation.

Over seven years of development, the MLC has achieved significant milestones.

It has undergone continuous refinement, with its content becoming more substantive.

The camaraderie and mutual understanding among individuals from the six nations have seen a noticeable enhancement.

He affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to the MLC and will team up with China and the Mekong countries to further promote the sustainable development of the MLC.

Amid a fast-changing global economy, the Mekong-Lancang countries need to adopt a more comprehensive mindset, a global and regional approach, and innovative solutions to thrive strongly.

Therefore, the Vietnamese government leader put forward three priority areas of cooperation.

The grouping should build a Mekong-Lancang River region of modernity and development, where the resources, potential, and strengths of each member country would be effectively exploited and developed.

The main goal is to promote industrialization and modernization, build independent and self-reliant economies for the Mekong-Lancang countries, and facilitate international integration in an effective and substantive manner.

Secondly, the top Vietnamese official suggested building a green, sustainable, and inclusive Mekong-Lancang region which would ensure the harmony between the present and the future, between economic growth and environmental protection, with people being the center and the driving force for development.

The member countries should support each other in realizing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the commitments to reducing carbon emissions to build green and circular economies.

Besides, they need to tighten cooperation on protecting the ecosystem, coping with natural disasters, managing and using the Mekong-Lancang River in an effective, sustainable, fair, and logical way, especially not changing the river’s natural flows.

For a better future for people, the six countries should prioritize investment in human development, building inclusive education and healthcare systems, assisting the young workforce in accessing modern science and technology, and creating optimal conditions for all individuals to benefit from the whole development process.

Thirdly, the six nations should strive to cultivate a Mekong-Lancang region characterized by peace and cooperation.

This involves sustained efforts to bolster mutual trust, sincerity, and solidarity, thereby promoting common interests and upholding the principles of multilateralism.

And there is a need to strengthen the complementarity between the MLC and ASEAN, along with other regional cooperation mechanisms.

They should also focus on cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

Wrapping up the meeting, the leaders issued the Nay Pyi Taw Declaration, the MLC action plan for the 2023-27 period, and the initiative on the Mekong-Lancang innovation corridor.

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