Mekong, RoK foreign ministers gather at Bangkok meeting

Foreign ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam highly valued the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s contributions to the Mekong region in the recent past while attending a meeting in Bangkok on August 3.
Mekong, RoK foreign ministers gather at Bangkok meeting ảnh 1Foreign minister of the Mekong countries and the RoK pose for a photo at the meeting in Bangkok on August 3 (Photo: VNA)

Bangkok (VNA) – Foreign ministers of Cambodia,Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam highly valued the Republic of Korea (RoK)’scontributions to the Mekong region in the recent past while attending a meetingin Bangkok on August 3.

The 9th Mekong-RoK Foreign Ministers’ Meetingtook place on the sidelines of the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in thecapital city of Thailand.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister PhamBinh Minh led the Vietnamese delegation to the event.

The participating officials appreciated theRoK’s contributions to the Mekong region through official developmentassistance and the Mekong-RoK Cooperation Fund (MKCF). They also welcomed theNortheast Asian nation’s New Southern Policy with a vision for a people-centredcommunity of peace and prosperity.

They agreed to organise the first Mekong-RoKSummit on the sidelines of ASEAN-RoK Summit in Busan city this November.

At the meeting, the ministers reviewed theimplementation of the Mekong-RoK Action Plan for 2017-2020 and recognised theprogress of cooperation projects in sea ports, the application of informationand communication technologies (ICT) to culture and education, forestpreservation, and sustainable agriculture.

They agreed that in the time ahead, the Mekongcountries and the RoK will continue implementing the priority projects in theAction Plan, enhance coordination with other cooperation mechanisms in theregion, and encourage the participation of the private sector.

They will also press on with projectscontributing to sustainable development, including the management andsustainable use of water resources, and work closely with the Mekong RiverCommission.

In 2019, the MKCF will support seven newprojects, including the Vietnamese one on promoting the irrigation capacity toserve agricultural development in the Mekong Delta.

During the event, the ministers also discussedsome international and regional issues, including the East Sea and the KoreanPeninsula issues, along with non-traditional challenges like water resources,food and energy security.

Applauding the RoK’s contributions to the Mekongregion, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Minh proposed some prioritycooperation fields for the coming time such as dialogue, manpower training andtechnology transfer in the field of green growth, agricultural cooperation todevelop plant varieties that can adapt to climate change, sustainablemanagement of submerged forest ecosystems, water use efficiency,  educational collaboration, ICT development inrural areas, and ICT manpower development.

Concluding the meeting, the officials adoptedthe co-chairs’ statement and agreed to hold the next Mekong-RoK Foreign Ministers’Meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vietnam in2020.

They also agreed to work closely together forthe success of the first Mekong-RoK Summit. -VNA
VNA

See more

Thailand is working to promote high-value cruise tourism. (Source: BangkokPost)

Thailand promotes cruise tourism

Last year, Thailand recorded 162 cruise ship calls, carrying 379,036 passengers and 163,331 crew members, generating 1.89 billion THB (56.5 million USD) in revenue, a 6.9% increase from 2023. Leading source markets include Singapore, the UK, Malaysia, the US, and Germany.

ASEAN, US hold 37th annual dialogue in Cambodia (Photo: Getty)

ASEAN, US hold 37th annual dialogue in Cambodia

The co-chairs highlighted the strong and durable partnership with ASEAN over the past 48 years. They discussed pressing geopolitical issues, including the importance of facilitating a free and open Indo-Pacific. O’Neill further expressed the need to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra rejects rumours about a potential cabinet reshuffle. (Photo: The Nation)

Thai PM dismisses cabinet reshuffle rumours

Speaking to reporters at Government House after the weekly Cabinet meeting, Paetongtarn insisted she had no plans to adjust her ministerial line-up or oust the Bhumjaithai Party - the second-largest partner - from her coalition government, The Nation of Thailand reported.

Thailand will scrap certification for steel produced using outdated IF technology. (Photo: The Nation)

Thailand plans to eradicate polluting steel production technology

The Thai Ministry of Industry will review the certification standards for steel manufactured via the IF process, a method known for its limitations in removing impurities from molten steel and higher levels of dust and toxic gas emissions compared to more modern methods.

Around 18,000 units of illegal items were seized during a raid on March 21. (Photo: HSA)

Singapore seizes illegal health products

Under Singapore's law, individuals found guilty of importing, manufacturing or supplying illegal health products face a two-year jail term, a 50,000 SGD fine, or both.

Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (MTI) Gan Kim Yong. (Photo: Bernama)

Johor–Singapore SEZ set to strengthen supply chains

Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong noted that escalating tensions between the US and China have led to a volley of tit-for-tat tariffs, effectively choking off trade between the world’s two largest economies. These developments will have significant implications on businesses in Singapore and Malaysia, many of which are embedded within the production and supply chains of both the US and China.

 Indonesia urges universities to uphold local identity

Indonesia urges universities to uphold local identity

The Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) has encouraged universities to develop based on the characteristics and potential of each locality, instead of applying policies uniformly.

Illustrative image (Source: nationthailand.com)

Thailand aims to become ASEAN's clean energy hub

BoI Secretary-General Narit Therdsteerasukdi revealed that there are currently 28 electric vehicle production projects by 22 companies in Thailand, with a total investment of approximately 78 billion THB and a combined production capacity of over 880,000 units.