Mekong-Lancang Meeting takes place on January 10, 2017 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

The meeting, themed “Our River of Peace and Sustainable Development”, took place on Wednesday in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Leaders reaffirmed their goal of building a Mekong-Lancang region of peace, stability, sustainable development, and prosperity. They reached a consensus that the MLC should contribute more to promoting regional socio-economic development, narrowing the development gap between member states, and supporting the building of the ASEAN Community. They urged the MLC to coordinate with development programs and plans like the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC), the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (IAI), and regional connection initiatives.

The leaders adopted the Phnom Penh statement and the 5-year action plan with measures to realize cooperation in 3 areas: security and politics; economy and sustainable development; and society, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen handed over the co-chairmanship of the meeting to the Lao Prime Minister. Mr. Hun Sen told a press conference afterwards: “At the end of the meeting, we established a coordination secretariat for each country and other committees to support member countries, the Water Resources Cooperation Center, the Mekong-Lancang Environment Protection Center, and the Mekong-Lancang Research Center. We are very happy that the commitments made at the 1^st Mekong-Lancang meeting have been implemented”.

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang reiterated his support for basic rules of the meeting: equality, mutual coordination and consultation, volunteering, contributing, sharing benefits, and respecting the UN’s charter and international laws. He said the Mekong-Lancang cooperation mechanism is effective and appropriate for the current trend of globalization and integration.