Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son at the event (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Sonhas affirmed Vietnam’s commitments to the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC),saying that countries need to further uphold the potential of the mechanism tocontribute to peace, prosperity and sustainable development in the region.
He was speaking at the 11th MGC Foreign Ministers’Meeting that was held virtually on July 21.
Marking the 20th anniversary of the MGC, the eventreviewed two decades of regional cooperation and discussed opportunities, challenges aswell as orientations for the next period.
In his speech, Son proposed bolstering medical coordination viathe research, production and distribution of vaccines, supply of antibioticsand medical equipment, improving the quality of medical staff and community-basedmedical system.
Further attention should be paid to promoting sustainable andinclusive economic recovery via facilitating trade and investment, ensuringregional supply chain, maintaining a stable business environment, promotingtrade promotion programmes, and boosting infrastructure connectivity, he said.
According to him, countries need to reinforce joint work inscience-technology, innovation, digital technology and infrastructure; givepriority to sustainable water resources management and climate change response viaexperience sharing and technological transfer, as well as improve the capacityof early forecasting and disaster management; and enhance cooperation betweenthe Mekong River Commission and the National Ganga River Basin Authority.
Ministers spoke highly of the MGC’s achievements in prioritycooperation fields of culture, tourism, education, public health andtraditional medicine, water resources management, science-technology,transportation and information, capacity improvement and skill development.
Two-way trade between India and Mekong countries rose 25-fold to25 billion USD last year. Transport connectivity projects have been expanded,especially direct flights linking with the MGC’s major cities. Hundreds ofscholarships and training courses have been provided for Mekong nations to develophuman resources.
Progress was seen in collaboration in culture, heritage managementand tourism. The Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) were launched with 68 projectsworth 3.4 million USD for the 2016-2020 period. India provided over 2 billion USDin loans for projects regarding water resources development, infrastructurebuilding and connectivity, digitalisation, rural electrification, irrigationand education in Mekong countries.
Ministers welcomed the MGC’s Plan of Action for the 2019-2022period, with three new cooperation areas, including water resources management,science-technology, capacity improvement and skill development.
Participants agreed to enhance collaboration in COVID-19prevention and control, especially in the research, production and distributionof vaccines and antibiotics.
They pledged to improve the capacity of preventing and controllingdiseases, promote collaboration in traditional medicine, recover the economypost pandemic via facilitating trade, transport connectivity, technology,digital transformation, tourism, human resources training and development,cultural exchange, and connecting the MGC with regional connectivity initiatives.
Concluding the event, countries adopted a Joint Statement andagreed to hold the next meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’Meeting next year./.
