Attending the event were leaders of the RoK, Cambodia, Laos,Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
It was thefirst time since the establishment of the Mekong – RoK partnership eight yearsago that leaders of the six countries sat down to discuss the future of theirpartnership under the theme “Future Mekong-RoK cooperation for mutualprosperity”.
The meeting reviewedcooperation between Mekong countries and the RoK over the past nearly one decade,including achievements in narrowing development gap, strengthening regionalconnectivity, and building the ASEAN Community.
Speaking at the event, PM Phuc laid emphasis on three maingoals of the Mekong – RoK cooperation which are strengthening regional peaceenvironment, people-centred and innovation-fueled economic development, andeconomic growth in tandem with environmental protection and conservation of naturalresources.
He highlighted the need to develop transport and informationtechnology infrastructure, a quality workforce via improving education –training quality and enhancing science-technology collaboration, and step upgreen growth and water resources management.
Leaders ofMekong countries spoke highly of the RoK’s support for the Mekong region andwelcomed the RoK’s commitment to increasing official development assistance toASEAN and annual financial contribution to the Mekong – RoK Cooperation Fund.
On orientations of their future cooperation, they agreed toestablish the Mekong-RoK people-centred partnership for prosperity and peace,and lift bilateral cooperation to the summit level. The cooperation will bebased on three pillars of people, prosperity and peace, with seven priorityfields of culture and tourism, human resources development, agriculture andrural development, infrastructure, information technology and communications,environment, and non-traditional challenges.
The leaders agreed to set up the Mekong – RoK BiodiversityCentre and the Mekong – RoK Joint Research Centre on Mekong River WaterResources Management to promote natural resources preservation and sustainabledevelopment in Mekong River basin.
The year 2021 was also designated as Mekong – RoK ExchangeYear to celebrate 10 years of their cooperation.
On the occasion, the Mekong – RoK Business Council was alsoestablished to promote connectivity among the six countries’ enterprises.
The Korea Water Resources Corporation, the Mekong RiverCommission and relevant agencies of Mekong countries also signed a memorandumof understanding on conducting joint research on water resources.
At the end of the event, leaders adopted the Mekong-HanRiver Declaration on Establishing Partnership for People, Prosperity and Peace, and agreed to holdthe second Mekong-RoK summit in Vietnam next year./.