(KPL) The Lao PDR will co host the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) meetings with China over the next two years, according to the Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen.

The Second Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting held on Jan 10 approved a Five-year Action Plan (2018-2022) in Cambodia’s Phnom Penh, charting the course for the LMC's development into the next decade.

With a theme of "Our River of Peace and Sustainable Development," the meeting gathered leaders of China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to discuss such issues as connectivity, water management and industrial production capacity.

As an important mechanism along the Lancang-Mekong River sub-region, the LMC mechanism has been focusing on sustainable development and pragmatic cooperation in the sub-region and serving as an important platform for implementing the Belt and Road Initiative.

All the six leaders reached consensus and adopted two important outcome documents – the Phnom Penh Declaration of the 2nd MLC Leaders’ Meeting and the Five Year Plan of Action of the MLC (2018-2022).

The Phnom Penh Declaration focused mainly on political and security cooperation; the economic and sustainable development cooperation; social, cultural and people-to-people exchange; and cooperation supports.

The six leaders also took note of the 2nd Batch of Projects to be supported by LMC Special Fund 2018 and the Progress Report of the six Joint Working Groups on key priority areas.

A total 132 projects have been approved as the First Batch of Projects of LMC Special Fund 2017.

“We are also very pleased with the substantive progress made in implementing the 45 early harvest projects identified at 1st LMC Leaders’ Meeting and the 13 Initiatives put forward by China at the 2nd LMC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting,” underlined the Cambodian premier.

KPL