Environment

4th MRC International Conference of Stakeholders opens in Vientiane

The 4th Mekong River Commission (MRC) International Conference of Stakeholders was opened on April 2 in Vientiane, Laos with the theme 'Innovation and Cooperation for a Water Secure and Sustainable Mekong'.
4th MRC International Conference of Stakeholders opens in Vientiane ảnh 1Officials and experts talk at the  4th Mekong River Commission (MRC) International Conference. (Photo: VNA)

Vientiane (VNA) – The 4th Mekong River Commission (MRC) International Conference of  Stakeholders was opened on April 2 in Vientiane, Laos with the theme'Innovation and Cooperation for a Water Secure and Sustainable Mekong'.

Lao Minister ofNatural Resources and Environment Bounkham Vorachit, representatives of the MRCand its commissions in four countries of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam,together with more than 600 regional and global experts in fields of water andrelated resources, energy, food, traffic, river basin management, andgovernance attended the opening ceremony.

Speaking at theceremony, Bounkham Vorachitsaid that Laos is fully committed to not only sustainable but also responsibledevelopment. The Lao government attaches great importance to supporting the cooperation with Mekong countries under the 1995 MekongAgreement, affirming that the agreement helps Laos promote cooperation and sustainableand equitable development in the Mekong River basin.

She acknowledgedthe important contributions of the dialogue partners, development partners, andother partners inside and outside the region, emphasising that as the region isundergoing changes and transformations rapidly, the parties need to worktogether more closely through innovative technologies so that the region canchange the way to manage water resource, improve data and information sharingas well as strengthen technology monitoring systems.

The Lao officialalso encouraged participants to actively exchange views, insights, knowledge,and data. According to Bounkham, the outcome of the international conference isvery important because it will be presented at the ministerial conference andthe MRC Summit in April 4-5.

During thetwo-day conference, representatives of the parties and regional and globalexperts will present and discuss the most up-to-date perceptions, andinnovative solutions around the problems of the Mekong River and other riverbasins.

The MRC is anintergovernmental organisation that works with the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam to manage the shared water and related resources ofthe Mekong River for the sustainable development of the Mekong region. It wasfounded by the Mekong Agreement of 1995, building on previous cooperationthrough the Mekong Committee established in 1957./.

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