(KPL) Mekong and Japanese foreign ministers have adopted the Mekong-Japan Cooperation Strategy 2024 to serve as a basis for continuing to enhance socio-economic cooperation between the Mekong countries and Japan in the future.

The 15th Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting, jointly organized by the Lao PDR and Japan, took place in Vientiane on July 26, 2024. It was held alongside the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, where participants reviewed the outcomes of the cooperation between the Mekong countries and Japan over the past period.

Special attention was given to the implementation of the Tokyo Strategy 2018, which contributed significantly to improving the living standards of the people and the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and the East-West Economic Corridor.

Under the joint chairmanship of Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR, and Ms. Kamikawa Yoko, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the meeting saw the participation of foreign ministers and senior officials from the Mekong countries: Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The meeting also outlined future plans, focusing on three new pillars of cooperation: Post-COVID-19 social recovery and connectivity, with an emphasis on enhancing infrastructure development, supply chain integration, people-to-people exchanges, and public health; Digital transformation; and New resilience focusing on economic stability, water management, green transition, climate change adaptation, and the implementation of various regional and international cooperation initiatives.

On this occasion, Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith praised the significant results achieved through Mekong-Japan cooperation over the past years, highlighting its crucial role in the socio-economic development of the Mekong region, particularly in the Lao PDR. He also noted the progress in developing high-quality infrastructure, which is vital for transforming the Lao PDR from a landlocked country into a land-linked nation, facilitating trade, investment, and market access both regionally and globally.

KPL