Speaking at the event, Deputy PMMinh described LMI as one of the leading sub-regional mechanisms onfacilitating sustainable and inclusive development.
He spoke highly of achievementsin cooperation projects regarding infrastructure, training, connectivity andbusinesses, as well as the US’s support for Mekong countries and LMIcooperation over the past nine years.
In order to further reinforce theLMI collaboration, the Vietnamese official proposed that the US should increaseits sharing of experience with Mekong countries in training skilled workforceand development research.
Minh called for strongercooperation to enhance agricultural output, improve the agriculture sector’s capacityof coping with climate change and expanding farm produce markets.
Further attention should be paidto water resource security, energy and food, especially in disaster riskmitigation, environmental protection and biodiversity, he said, adding that theLMI should help Mekong countries enhance its capacity of sustainably managingtrans-border water resources, adopt new technologies to assess projects’ impactson the environment, and build an early forecasting system for droughts andfloods.
At the meeting, the Foreign Ministersfrom Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the US, hailed the LMIcooperation as an important driving force for connectivity, economicintegration, sustainable development and good governance in the Mekongsub-region.
They highly valued the LMI’scomprehensive approach to ensuring security of water resources, food, energyand environmental challenges, as well as the outcomes of sustainableinfrastructure partnership initiative and training courses in diverse fields.
The participants adopted thereform of LMI structure in the two pillars of water resources, energy, food andenvironment; and human development and connectivity. Coordination in genderequality, women empowerment and public-private partnership will be incorporatedinto the LMI’s activities.
The meeting adopted a jointstatement, a document on LMI restructure and a LMI Action Plan for the2016-2020 period.
The LMI and Mekong RiverCommission (MRC) countries adopted a joint statement on strengtheningmanagement of water resource data and sharing information in the LowerMekong.-VNA