Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (first right) and delegates participate the meeting (Source: VNA)Manila (VNA) – Vietnam will work withJapan and Mekong nations to implement the 2015 Tokyo Strategy onMekong-Japan cooperation and the Mekong-Japan Action Plan for Realisationof the New Tokyo Strategy for 2016-2018.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister PhamBinh Minh reiterated Vietnam’s commitments at the Mekong-Japan ForeignMinisters' Meeting on the sidelines of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’Meeting (AMM 50) in Manila, the Philippines, on August 6.
The event was attended by the Foreign Ministersfrom Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan.
To help Mekong nations participate deeply inglobal and regional value chains, the Vietnamese FM suggested developinginternational traffic corridors and logistics system so the region can serve asa bridge connecting the Indian Ocean and Asia – Pacific, and be a gate tomarkets like India and ASEAN.
Meanwhile, Japan should provide support for Mekongnations to shift toward green growth and energy saving models, to develop energywhile ensuring energy, food and water security and to use water sustainablyfrom the Mekong river while adapting to climate change, Minh said.
He also suggested Japan help Mekong countriesdevelop high-quality human resources and enhance research and development capacityto meet the demand of enterprises.
During the event, participants discussedcooperation plans and preparations for the ninth Mekong – Japan Summit Meetingslated for November.
Mekong nations lauded Japan’s support forpromoting regional connectivity, human resource development and industrialinfrastructure facilities via the Partnership for QualityInfrastructure, the Industrial Human Resource Development Cooperation Initiativesand official development assistance.
The ministers expressed their determination to boostMekong – Japan cooperation for peace, stability and prosperity in the region,and agreed to work together on other issues, including customs clearance andhuman resources.
They also pledged to strengthen cooperation withthe Mekong River Commission for economic growth.
The 11th Mekong – Japan Foreign Ministers’Summit Meeting will take place in Singapore in 2018.-VNA
VNA
