Hanoi (VNA) -ꦦ Mekong countries and the Republic of Korea (RoK) on November 13 agreed to lift bilateralrelations to a strategic partnership.

This came during the second Mekong-RoKSummit, held in the form of a video conference and co-chaired by Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc and RoK President Moon Jae-in. The parties also agreed to bolster cooperation in sevenpriority fields of cooperation (culture and tourism, human resources development,agriculture and rural development, infrastructure, information and communications,environment, and non-traditional challenges), improve the resilience of regionalsupply chains, and create the best conditions possible for business activitiesin all countries. Leaders also encouraged the participation of localitiesand businesses, and underlined the necessity of further bolstering coordinationbetween Mekong-RoK cooperation and ASEAN, along with other Mekong cooperation mechanisms. They consented to work together in holding joint eventswithin the framework of the “2021 Mekong-RoK Exchange Year”, which will mark the10th anniversary of the cooperation mechanism. This second summit offered a chance for the parties toreview the implementation of the Mekong-Han River Declaration and discuss cooperationorientations in the new context, thus elevating cooperation to new heights. Countries took note of the positive results recordedin the seven priority fields of cooperation, and particularly the establishmentof the Mekong-RoK Joint Research Centre on Mekong River Water Resources Managementand the Mekong-RoK Biodiversity Centre, as well as projects and activities in culturalheritage conservation and restoration, rural development, and forestry, among others. Mekong countries spoke highly of the RoK’s aid for theregion through the Mekong-RoK Cooperation Fund (MKCF) and official development assistance(ODA), which they said help strengthen regional links and sustainable developmentand contribute to the building of the ASEAN Community. The countries also voiced concern over drought, salineintrusion, and flooding in the Mekong region, and agreed to enhance cooperationin water management, climate change adaptation, and natural disaster response. They also affirmed their determination to foster cooperationin multiple spheres, in an effort to surmount the obstacles and challengesfacing economic recovery. Addressing the summit, PM Phuc said that with strongcommitments from and the resolve of member countries, cooperation between Mekongcountries and the RoK has developed in both depth and width. He called on the countries to prioritise smart agriculturaldevelopment via the sharing of experience and technology, and the developmentof high-quality human resources through scholarship programmes. They should bolster the exchange of experts, encourageRoK corporations to form labour training models at universities and vocational schools,and fortify cooperation in climate change adaptation and natural resources management,he added. Leaders also agreed on a joint statement. Cambodia and the RoK will co-chair the third summit,slated for next year. The first Mekong-RoK Summit was convened in November2019 in Busan, the RoK, during which countries consented to cooperate on the basisof the three pillars of people, prosperity, and peace./.