China, Mekong countries launch Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework

PROMOTING REGIONAL INTEGRATION

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai in Jinghong city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, Nov 11, 2015. Don is in China for the 1st Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) foreign ministers' meeting held in Jinhong Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]

The representatives reached a consensus that the LMC will be open and inclusive, and it will work with other sub-regional frameworks to promote regional integration.

The six countries along the Lancang-Mekong River have close geographical, social and cultural link, Don Pramudwinai said, noting the LMC framework is equally participated and jointly built by the six countries, and it will create more common benefit.

U Wunna Maung Lwin expressed his hope that the LMC framework will strengthen friendly relationships and win-win cooperation in the region.

Closer cooperation among the six countries will promote economic and social development, enhance sustainable development and narrow the gaps among countries in the Mekong sub-region so as to contribute more to the building of the ASEAN community and China-ASEAN cooperation, Wang said.

The LMC framework was proposed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in November 2014 when he attended the 17th China-ASEAN leaders' meeting. As a follow-up to the initiative, the first and second LMC senior officials' meetings were held in April and August this year.

DISCUSSING EARLY HARVEST PROJECTS

According to Wang, his counterparts from Mekong countries discussed the LMC early harvest projects and they expect to see an early implementation of these projects to benefit the people in the region.

At the meeting on Thursday, 78 cooperation projects were raised by the officials from six countries, which cover areas like water resource management, poverty alleviation, public health, infrastructure, personnel exchanges, science and technology.

To carry these projects forward, Wang called for government policy support, capital investment, personnel training and think tank construction.

When discussing the funding of these projects, they agreed it would be at the consultation of the governments concerned and the support from other financial mechanisms and international institutions will also be considered.

They suggested the first LMC leaders' meeting be held next year, which is expected to provide political guidance to LMC' s development in the future.