>>> PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends 10th Mekong-Japan Summit
>>> Mekong-Japan cooperation lifted to strategic partnership
The leaders said that the conference was a success with the adoption of the Tokyo Strategy 2018 for Mekong-Japan Cooperation in the 2019-2021 period. They affirmed their determination to jointly implement the scheme in an effective manner on the basis of its three main pillars for cooperation, namely vibrant and effective connectivity, people-centred society, and realising a “green Mekong” goal.
According to PM Phuc, Mekong-Japan cooperation has achieved important achievements in the past decade, helping to expand economic, trade and people-to-people exchanges between Japan and the Mekong countries, thus bringing about significant changes in infrastructure and human resources development, while creating a more conducive environment for business operations in the Mekong region.
"All of them are oriented towards the people, leaving no one behind. It was the target in the past as well as for the future," PM Phuc said, adding that with hundreds of projects successfully implemented, the Mekong-Japan cooperation has affirmed its position as one of the most practical and effective cooperation mechanisms in the Mekong region. This success is due to the important part of the precious support from the Government and the people of Japan to the Mekong countries in general, including Vietnam.
The Vietnamese leader affirmed Vietnam's commitment to Mekong-Japan cooperation and praised Japan's role in boosting the region’s integration, sustainable development and prosperity. Vietnam will continue to work closely with Japan and the Mekong countries to build a more successful cooperation model, meeting the expectations of the member countries, and contributing to the peace and prosperity of the region, the PM affirmed.
Speaking at the press brief, the host PM Shinzo Abe said the conference was meaningful for the Mekong region, which has great potential for growth. At the meeting, the parties affirmed that the Mekong-Japan relationship is a strategic partnership. The Tokyo Strategy 2018 will be a new guide for the countries to achieve a prosperous future together, he added.
According to the Japanese PM, the countries concerned will strengthen their infrastructure connections, create a new impetus for the movement of people and goods, and enhance digital connection and people-to-people exchange. Japan will mobilise investment from the private sector to play an important role in economic development, PM Abe stated.
Cambodian PM Samdech Hun Sen affirmed that, with the future cooperation, Cambodia will focus on industrial and sectorial links to deal with the challenges of the fourth Industrial Revolution. He also expressed his pleasure at the Japanese companies' commitment to invest in manufacturing and services in the GSM.
Highly appreciating Japan's support for the region, Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith said the recently-adopted Tokyo Strategy 2018 will contribute to promote the development of countries in the region.
Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi said that her country has benefited greatly from bilateral projects and roughly 100 other multilateral projects within the framework of the Mekong-Japan cooperation. Within the three pillars in the Tokyo Strategy2018, Myanmar will focus more on people-to-people and cultural exchanges. The Myanmar State Counsellor also expressed her hope that Japan's investment would be directed to the local agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors.
For his part, Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha said Thailand attaches great importance to the development of infrastructure, as it is a way to increase connectivity among the people of different countries, as the people are the centre and the driving force for development. They are the key to regional growth and quality development, he affirmed.
The meeting agreed that next year will be the Japan-Mekong Exchange Year, and both the public and private sectors have planned for the event with six forums to be jointly hosted by Thailand and Japan.
