RoK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (L) meets her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono on the sidelines of the AMM 51 and related meetings in Singapore on August 02, 2018. (Photo: Yonhap/VNA)

RoK’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha made the statement at the 8th Mekong-Korea Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Singapore on Friday, as part of the 51st ASEAN Foreign Minister’s Meeting and related meetings.

Kang said that Seoul will also increase official development assistance (ODA) for ASEAN countries and funding for the Mekong-Korea Cooperation Fund (MKCF).

The two sides agreed to continue their cooperation to increase connectivity, narrow the development gap, and improve the capacity for sustainable development.

They also focused their discussions on how to upgrade working mechanisms and on the organisation of the first Mekong-Korea summit in 2019.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said that countries in the Mekong region and the Republic of Korea need to foster cooperation in protecting the environment; effectively preventing and addressing disasters in the Mekong River, sustainably managing the Mekong river’s water resources, and expanding collaboration with the Mekong River Commission.

He suggested Korea share its knowledge in green growth to promote sustainable development in the Mekong Sub-region, or its experience related to education and human resources development in response to the 4th industrial revolution.

Mr. Minh underlined the need to boost industrial links, especially in modern agricultural technology, and expand regional connectivity through developing international transport corridors and logistics systems.