PHNOM PENH - Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has called on six riparian countries of the Mekong River to increase co-operation in protecting, managing and using sustainably its resources.

Addressing the Mekong-Lancang Co-operation (MLC) Summit that opened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, yesterday,  he said initial co-operation priority should be given to sharing of hydro-meteorological information and data, coping with droughts and floods; and carrying out scientific studies to build a mechanism for reservoirs to regulate river’s flow.

He also pointed to the need to develop a complete infrastructure system to link and create favourable conditions for trading activities, services, and transportation of local people; and support all riparian countries to tap opportunities from the 4.0 Industrial Revolution to promote industrialisation of member countries.    

At the conference, leaders of member countries approved the Phnom Penh Declaration and a five-year (2018-2022) Action Plan for Mekong-Lancang co-operation.

They agreed to increase co-operation in managing and sustainably using water resources of the Mekong River via many activities including policy dialogue, building and improving a system to supervise water quality, sharing hydro-meteorological information and data, stepping up technical co-operation, improving water management capacity and setting up soon a common hotline for emergencies.

With the theme “Peaceful river and our sustainable development,” the summit will review co-operation among the riparian countries over the last two years, discuss future co-operation orientations, and hear reports from several working groups.

The MLC is a sub-regional co-operation mechanism that was established in 2016 by the riparian countries of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Việt Nam.

Meeting with leaders

On the sidelines of the summit, PM Phúc affirmed Việt Nam’s consistent policy of strengthening good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, and comprehensive and long-lasting cooperation with Cambodia during a working session with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen.

The two PMs agreed to take more effective measures to raise the awareness of the two countries’ people, especially younger generations, about the bilateral friendship and all-around co-operation founded and fostered by generations of predecessors.

They discussed ways to boost bilateral ties across trade, transport, finance-banking for mutual benefit. They also agreed to speed up the demarcation of land borders and the planting of border markers in order to complete the work as early as possible.

Later yesterday, Phúc met with Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulit.

He asked the Lao Government to simplify procedures and reduce costs for getting visas, labour permits and resident status for Vietnamese workers, helping them stabilise their lives and contribute to Laos’s socioeconomic development.

The two PMs agreed to direct their ministries, branches and localities to co-ordinate preparations for the 40th meeting of the Việt Nam-Laos Inter-governmental Committee slated for early this year.

They also affirmed that they will continue working to deepen bilateral political relations and collaborate in carrying out drastic and comprehensive measures to strengthen their economic partnership, paying attention to key investment projects and removing bottlenecks for enterprises from both sides.

China ties hailed

PM Phúc also met yesterday with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and highlighted development of bilateral ties in 2017.

He affirmed that Việt Nam places great importance on developing its comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership with China, particularly in economy, trade and investment.

He proposed that the two sides continue promoting regular visits and meetings between leaders and promote co-operation for mutual benefit in agriculture, environmental protection, climate change adaptation and science and technology as well as in finance and transportation.

Li said that China also wished to work with Việt Nam to develop their bilateral comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership in a sustainable and stable manner.

In another meeting with Thai PM Prayut Chan-ocha yesterday, PM Phúc expressed his pleasure at the positive development of bilateral relations. Two-way trade turnover between the two countries reached US$15 billion in 2017, he noted.

The two PMs discussed measures to increase co-operation between the two countries in the coming years. — VNS