Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongphane Savanphet (front right) and Chinese Ambassador to Laos Fang Hong (front left) sign a new cooperation pact in Vientiane on Tuesday (July 15). - Vientiane Times
VIENTIANE: The governments of Laos and China on Wednesday (July 17) signed a new pact under the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) scheme, bringing the number of projects initiated under the scheme this year to 10, worth a total of US$2.6 million.
The agreement was signed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongphane Savanphet, representing the Lao government, and the Chinese Ambassador to Laos, Fang Hong.
The two governments are confident that new projects under the MLC initiative will effectively contribute to social and economic development in the Mekong River region, as well as strengthen the cooperative relationship under the MLC framework, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
So far this year, the Lao government has given approval to 10 projects, which include support for central and local levels of government in the fields of agriculture, environmental protection, water resources management, public health, trade, building industrial production capacity, human resource development, and tourism.
The Mekong-Lancang Cooperation initiative was established in 2016, with the mutual intention and commitment of the member countries to create a community of peace and completeness.
The initiative encompasses Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and China, which are spiritually and geographically connected by the Mekong River.
The MLC is an important socio-economic cooperation platform that aims to strengthen multilateral cooperation and provide support for mutually beneficial cooperation as well as jointly resolving various challenges in the region.
It supports the development of the ASEAN community, the Belt and Road Initiative, and efforts to fulfil the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
China announced the establishment of the MLC special fund and initiated its implementation in 2017 with the goal of enabling the Mekong-Lancang river countries to achieve real results in the maintenance and development of the river environment.
Laos has been the recipient of 80 projects under this scheme worth more than US$20 million, which have yielded good results to date. – Vientiane Times/ANN
