A section of the Mekong River (Source: luxurycruisemekong.com)Launched on March 23, 2016 during the first MLCLeaders' Meeting in Sanya, a resort city in south China's Hainan province, theMLC consists of six countries, namely China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailandand Vietnam.
Pou Sothirak, Executive Director of the CambodianInstitute for Cooperation and Peace, said cooperation among the MLC countrieshas blossomed in areas of connectivity, industrial capacity, cross-bordereconomy, water resources, agriculture and poverty reduction.
He added that it is expected that the MLC willcontinue to support the ASEAN Community building and regional integrationprocess, and promote the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda forSustainable Development.
"If all projects are faithfully and properlyimplemented, the MLC will be able to reinforce the spirit of cooperation amongthe six countries along the Lancang-Mekong and serve as a concrete road maptoward the prospect of a more open, inclusive and prosperous region, allowingall the people in the Greater Mekong Subregion to reap greater benefits withtheir livelihood improved, narrowing the development gap, and making ASEANCommunity building a step closer to reality," Sothirak said.
So Sophort, Secretary General of the Cambodia NationalMekong Committee, said the sustainable economic growth in the ripariancountries and the environmental sustainability of the Mekong River are the demand andcore business for all the Mekong countries.
"The MLC should consider continuing to increasethe investments and assistance for the sustainable development in theLancang-Mekong River Basin," he told Xinhua. "In this context, the MLCshould further strengthen its relationships economically, technically andpolitically, and regional connectivity among the MLC member states for theshared prosperity and sustainable future in the Lancang-Mekong region."
In addition, he said, there should be a need for allMekong initiatives to work together within the cooperative framework for thesustainable outcomes, meeting the needs and keeping the balance in the Mekong-LancangRiver Basin./.
VNA
