Mekong River flows through Vietnam (Source: WWF) Hanoi (VNA) – The Global Centre for Mekong Studies (GCMS)made debut in Cambodia on September 28, aiming to strengthen the academicexchange and support for the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC).
Cambodian PrinceNorodom Sirivudh, Chairman of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace(CICP), announced the launch of the GCMS during a ceremony attended byrepresentatives of six top think tanks from LMC members.
The six top thinktanks included CICP, the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), the Instituteof Foreign Affairs of Laos, the Myanmar Institute of Strategic andInternational Studies (MISIS), Thailand's Devawongse Varopakarm Institute ofForeign Affairs, and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV).
Speaking at thelaunching ceremony, Zuo Wenxing, political counsellor of the Embassy of China inCambodia, said that LMC is a new type of sub-regional cooperation and GCMScould assist LMC’s sustainable development academically.
Sok Siphana, anadvisor of the Royal Government of Cambodia, said that LMC needs new ideas andsupport from all walks of life from the six LMC states in order to buildstronger mutual trust, reduce developmental gap and promote synergy with otherinitiatives in this region.
Meanwhile, RongYing, CIIS's vice president and director of the GCMS-China Center, said GCMS isan open, shared and public platform for all participants.
GCMS will invitefamous experts and related research institutions in this region and around theworld, providing strong intellectual support for LMC by collecting strengthfrom every aspect, he said.
LMC is the firstsub-regional cooperation mechanism that includes all basin countries ofLancang-Mekong River - Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Since its formation in March 2016, the LMC has made steady progress withmany specific cooperation programs that have been underway in the region.-VNA
VNA
