Cambodia bats for Mekong’s economic development
Cambodia bats for Mekong’s economic development
Cambodia has endorsed the Mekong cooperation with Korea and Japan which focuses on connecting societies, promoting digitalisation and providing proactive responses to the citizens in the community aimed at elevating inclusive and sustainable development in the region.
Taking part in the 15th Mekong-Japan Cooperation Foreign Minister’s Meeting and the 12th Mekong-Republic of Korea Cooperation Foreign Minister’s Meeting in Vientiane, Laos PDR on July 26, Sok Chenda Sophea, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC) said Cambodia is fully committed to strengthening the Mekong-Korea cooperation based on the pillars of people, prosperity and peace aimed at elevating inclusive and sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region for mutual benefits.
During the 15th Mekong meeting with Japan, Chenda Sophea fully supported the Mekong-Japan Cooperation Strategy 2024 which focused on three pillars. First, resilience and connected society in post-Covid-19; second to promote digitalisation and third to provide a proactive response to non-traditional security issues.
The initiative aimed to produce more people-centric and pragmatic development, particularly in advocating for public-private investments to support the improvement of agriculture, health, human resources, industry, connectivity finance, digital technology and tourism sectors.
The idea is to improve all areas that are significant priorities in building the economy’s resilience and inclusion for sustainability development in the region.
During the 12th Mekong meeting with Korea, Chenda Sophea called for further strengthening of cooperation based on three pillars of people, prosperity and peace along with the seven priority areas in the Mekong-Han Declaration to promote sustainable development and bring mutual benefits to the Mekong sub-region.
According to MFAIC’s press release issued on Monday, Chenda Sophea highlighted some priority areas to be implemented by focusing on human capital development, climate change adaptation and management of natural resources, agriculture and rural development and people-to-people exchange, elevating inclusive and sustainable development in the sub-region.
Speaking to Khmer Times, Dr Anoulak Kittikhoun, CEO of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat said, “As a friend of the Mekong countries and member of our region, it is high time for Korea to join the premier regional body for Mekong River basin management as a development partner.”
“This will add a strategic approach to cooperation and build on past and ongoing collaborations between the MRC and various Korean agencies,” he said.
Based on MRC press release, Korea – a new development partner – has committed to a grant of $1 million to the MRC for this year’s project aimed at boosting regional cooperation and sustainable development with the possibility of adding more development budget in the following years.
The grant arrangement was signed by Kim Dong-bae, Director General of the ASEAN and Southeast Asia Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea and Jung Yung Soo, Korean Ambassador to Lao PDR at the MRC Headquarters in Vientiane on July 25, the statement added.
The MRC is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1995 to boost regional dialogue and cooperation in the Lower Mekong River Sasin which included Thailand, Vietnam, Lao PDR and Cambodia.
