Mekong region boosted by Japan cooperation
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Laos' socio-economic development received an important boost over the weekend with agreements reached at the 4th Mekong-Japan Summit, in Tokyo.
Chaired by Japanese PM Yoshihiko Noda Lao, the summit was attended by Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and other leaders from the Mekong nations including Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Myanmar President Thein Sein, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
At the conference, Japan pledged to provide overseas development assistance of ¥600 billion (Bt229 billion) to the Mekong countries for the period from 2013-2015. Thailand pledged an additional ¥883 million.
During the meeting, Japanese and Mekong leaders appreciated the progress made in cooperation between Japan and the Mekong nations, particularly the implementation of the Tokyo Declaration which was approved at the 1st Mekong-Japan Summit in 2009.
They also signed off on the Tokyo Strategy on cooperation. The strategy contains three priority tasks: enhancing connectivity in the Mekong region, promoting trade and investment, and cooperation on issues of public security and mutual environmental concern.
It aims to create a foundation for partnership and mutual prosperity between the Mekong nations and Japan, and for disclosing development disparities within Asean in preparation for the establishment of the Asean Community in 2015.
The summit participants assigned their respective ministers to come up with a new action programme for 2012-15 in terms of implementing the Tokyo Strategy and agreed to hold the next summit in 2013.
