Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn on Wednesday called on the six Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) countries to continue showing solidarity to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a message celebrating the annual LMC Week 2021, Sokhonn said 2020 had been overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its far-reaching impact on public health safety, the mobility of people and the flow of global supply chains.
"In light of the current global crisis, we must continue to show solidarity in addressing these issues of common concerns through cooperation and practical actions to provide adequate vaccines and medical supplies so that the LMC countries could achieve the shared goals of well-being and sustainable development for our sub-region and beyond," he said.
The LMC countries include China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Sokhonn said that over the past five years, the LMC has proven itself as a worthy cooperation framework by forging closer collaboration of all six riparian countries in addressing regional challenges in the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and complementarity with other existing sub-regional cooperation mechanisms.
"This mighty Mekong-Lancang river, from which this cooperation framework drew its name, binds our six countries together far more than just a physical connection, closely linking our culture and traditions, our natural resources, and the friendship of our people to form part for a community of shared future," he said.
Through open consultations, the LMC has delivered concrete results in terms of its contribution to social economic development and institutional improvement in the respective countries in the sub-region.
He said to ensure a promising post-pandemic socio-economic recovery, at the Third LMC Leaders' Meeting in August, the leaders of the LMC countries reaffirmed their resolute determination to address the severe impacts caused by COVID-19 by upgrading cooperation on public health through establishing the Lancang-Mekong Public Health Community.
They have also committed to tackle other global and regional development issues by securing new sources of growth through building the Lancang-Mekong Economic Development Belt and promoting synergy with the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, he added.
For water resources cooperation, they had decided to strengthen cooperation on hydrological data and information sharing to ensure water resources sustainability, and deepen cooperation on emergency management of flood, drought and other disasters.
"I am particularly impressed by the unique feature of the LMC, characterized by its effective implementation of cooperation projects, which is supported by the LMC Special Fund that has produced many tangible benefits in enhancing the livelihood and well-being of our citizens," Sokhonn said.
Among these projects, Cambodia has benefited from 55 projects that support a broad range of cooperation activities in the fields of rural development, community business creation, water resources, agriculture, air connectivity, education, and cultural heritage, among many others.
"Lastly, let me reiterate Cambodia's commitment to reinforce this LMC mechanism so that it can deepen further the bond of friendship and mutual support between the Mekong countries and China, in the spirit of promoting sustainable development, social and cultural interconnections of our peoples," he said.