Beijing (VNA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs BuiThanh Son led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 8th Mekong - LancangCooperation (MLC) ForeignMinisters' 𒁃;Meeting that opened in Beijing, China, on December7.

Addressingthe event, Son affirmed that Vietnamtreasures and continues actively contributing to cooperation among the six MLC countries. With the goal of buildinga better future for their people, he put forth four priority areas of cooperation in the comingtime, including advancing foundational industries by gradually transforming from processing and assembly to research, design, and manufacturing; and fosteringinnovation, technology application and transfer. The second suggestion wasaccelerating digital transformation through policy dialogues on digital economyand cybersecurity. This entails collaboration in developing digital workforce,smart cities, digitising micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs),and encouraging the establishment of digital infrastructure and application ofnew-generation technologies into the manufacturing industry. He also called for greater efforts to promote environmental protection and green growth by strengthening cooperation in developing a green circular bio-economy, clean and renewable energy, smart agriculture; andexpediting the completion and implementation of the MLC Water ResourcesCooperation Action Plan for 2023-2027. The scope of data sharing on meteorology,hydrology, and dam operation should be expanded while closer coordinationbetween the MLC and the Mekong River Commission should be enhanced, Son said. In his view, promotingtrade cooperation, establishing intelligent supply chains, facilitatingconnections between MSMEs and multinational corporations, and reforming the investmentenvironment are also key components of this collaborative effort. The Vietnamese minister's speech was welcomed and highly evaluated by the participating member countries. Ministers hailed theMekong-Lancang Cooperation Special Fund for assisting member countries in carryingout over 700 small and medium-sized projects across various sectors such astrade, agriculture, tourism, water resource management, environment, health,poverty reduction, and women's empowerment. Building upon the pastachievements, they agreed to step up the MLC cooperation with a priority given toinnovation, assisting the modernisation of countries and creating new momentumfor sub-regional cooperation. They concurred to explore the possibility ofestablishing the Mekong-Lancang Innovation Corridor with people being put atthe centre, and developing the Mekong-Lancang Economic Belt. This initiativeaims to enhance the application of advanced technologies in economicdevelopment, boost infrastructure connectivity, facilitate trade andinvestment, support the transition to clean energy and promote green growth. They reaffirmed theircommitment to prioritising water management in the Mekong-Lancang region,expediting the completion of the Action Plan for MLC Water ResourcesCooperation for the 2023-2027 period. They expressed their support for Vietnam's hosting of the second MLC Ministerial Meeting on Water Resources in 2024. The meeting also vowed to increase people-to-people exchanges as well as education and tourism collaboration./. Founded in 2016, the MLC consists of six member countries, namely Thailand, China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam./.