Laos ready to host 6th ASEM Sustainable Development Dialogue

The meeting is expected to be held in Pakxe district, Champassak province in southern Laos, which shares borders with Cambodia and Thailand.
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Sommad Pholsena, announced the country’s readiness for the meeting when he met the Deputy Minister of Environment and Water of Bulgaria, Atanaska Nikolova.
During their discussions, Sommad and Nikolova exchanged their views on issues of mutual interest, according to a recent report by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
They also agreed to enhance their cooperation between the two ministries and will sign a memorandum of understanding in the near future.
Sommad and his delegation met with Nikolova during the 5th ASEM Sustainable Development Dialogue (the Danube-Mekong Cooperation Initiative),, held in Ruse, Bulgaria, on December 1, the ministry said.
The event is part of the annual series in the framework of the ASEM Sustainable Development Dialogue (the Danube-Mekong cooperation initiative), launched by Hungary after consultations with ASEM partners in 2012, of which Bulgaria is a co-sponsor together with Austria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
Before participating in this event, Sommad and his delegates attended the 2nd Budapest Water Summit, held at Millenris Park in Budapest, Hungary from November 28-30.
The Summit 2016 was organised by the Hungarian government |in cooperation with the World |Water Council, under the patronage |of Janos Ader, President of Hungary.
The mission of the Summit states that instead of conflicts and global risks, water shall be the source of cooperation, peace and development for all the countries committed to sustainable development.
To this end, participants of the Budapest Water Summit 2016 laid down their proposed solutions for the relevant international bodies by adopting the Budapest Statement 2016.
During the summit, Sommad met bilaterally with the Minister of Interior, Sandor Pinter, and signed the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of water resources management to enhance cooperation between the two ministries.
Sommad also met the Minister for Environment of Luxembourg, Carole Dieschbourg, and discussed the cooperation between the two ministries, especially the result of the 22nd Conference of Parties (COP 22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was |held from November 7-18 in Morocco.