The event was announced on March 27 by Le Duc Trung, chief of the Office of the Vietnam National Mekong Committee, at a press conference in Hanoi.
The Vietnamese delegation, to be led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, will be joined at the event by others from Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, as well as dialogue partners China and Myanmar. Representatives of development partners, donors and international organisations will also be in attendance.
Held under the theme ‘Co-operation for Water, Energy and Food Security in Transboundary Basins under a Changing Climate’, the summit aims to strengthen the commitment to cross-border co-operation in the sustainable development of water and other resources of the Mekong River. This need is rising along with the demand for water, energy and food resources.
The summit represents the will and political commitment among the leaders of MRC member countries to enhance regional affiliation in overcoming all challenges and moving towards the sustainable development of the Mekong River basins.
The meeting will also define MRC priority areas for the immediate future, focusing especially on ensuring water, energy and food security and mitigating the effects of climate change.
The leaders are expected to adopt a joint statement at the end of the event.
An international seminar has been scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the event from April 2-3. There, delegates will discuss regional and global issues of common concern, such as water, energy and food security; risk management; and climate change adaptation in trans-boundary basins.
The first MRC Summit was held in Hua Hin, Thailand in 2010 to mark the 15th anniversary of the Agreement on Co-operation in the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin (1995 Mekong Agreement).
