Human resource development, tourism, and agriculture have been approved as main sectors of cooperation among the countries in the Mekong Basin and India.
This was the outcome of the 9th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Ministerial Meeting held in Singapore on August 2, which was attended by Laos’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Saleumxay Kommasith.
At the meeting India committed to fund scholarships for students from the Mekong countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
For cooperation in tourism, India and Myanmar will print tourist handbooks to promote iconic tourist attractions in Mekong-Ganga countries, aiming to attract more visitors to the region.
With regard to agriculture, India suggested holding the first meeting of the agriculture working group in New Delhi in November under the theme “Rice Germplasm”.
At last week’s meeting in Singapore, Ministers of Foreign Affairs from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and India reviewed the progress of cooperation following the joint declaration of the 8th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Ministerial Meeting, especially the implementation of the Quick Impact Project, for which Laos received US$150,000 to carry out three agricultural projects.
The foreign ministers praised India for hosting the first meeting on Pandemic Malaria and Dengue Management within Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) to promote trade and investment for MSMEs from Mekong-Ganga cooperation countries. .
The ministers adopted the 9th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Ministerial Meeting joint statement as a reference for future cooperation.
The next Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Ministerial Meeting will be held alongside the Asean Ministerial Meeting next year in Thailand, with Vietnam to be its chair.
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