South Korea and five nations in the Mekong region held the first-ever ministerial meeting in Seoul on Friday.
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| A couple fish in the Mekong river in Vietnam\'s southern province of Vinh Long. Photo: AFP |
The meeting was co-chaired by S. Korean Foreign Minister (FM) Kim Sung-hwan and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and FM Hor Namhong. The meeting also saw the attendance of Vietnamese FM Pham Binh Minh, Lao Deputy PM and FM Thonglouan Sisouthlith, Thai FM Surapong Tovichakchiakul and Myanmar Deputy FM Myo Myint.
The meeting was designed to set up a new cooperation mechanism between the S. Korea and the Mekong region, focusing on economic cooperation and development, political cooperation and the working mechanism of Mekong-S. Korea cooperation.
Addressing the event, Vietnamese FM Pham Binh Minh reiterated Vietnam ’s support for the Mekong-S. Korea cooperation, expressing his belief that the new cooperation mechanism would contribute to consolidating the fine relationship between the nations.
He also affirmed that Vietnam will take an active part and work closely with the member countries in implementing activities within the Mekong-S. Korea cooperation framework.
The meeting endorsed the Han River Statement on the establishment of the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Mekong countries and S. Korea for Common Wealth,” which set out future cooperation visions and orientations for the concerned countries.
The ministers also agreed to give priority to three cooperative areas, including ASEAN connectivity, sustainable development and development for people.
They also agreed to organize the annual Mekong-S. Korea ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and in the S. Korea every three years. The second Mekong-S. Korea Ministerial Meeting will be held in Cambodia next year.
The same day, FM Pham Binh Minh and the heads of delegation paid a courtesy visit to S. Korea President Lee Myung-bak.
On the sidelines of the meeting, FM Minh also met with his S. Korea counterpart Kim Sung-hwan.
