On July 4, 2022 local time, the seventh Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Bagan, Myanmar. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Myanmar's Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin co-chaired the meeting, which?was attended by Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son.
Wang Yi said, since the launch of the LMC, the six countries have joined hands and worked in solidarity to promote the high-level development of the new sub-regional mechanism, successfully setting a golden example of regional cooperation and bringing tangible benefits to the people of the six countries. As the world enters a new period of volatility and transformation, the LMC should be upgraded to navigate the storm of drastic global changes. Steady and sustained progress should be made to bring more benefits to the people of the six countries. We should stick to the right path and make innovations, so as to set a better example for regional cooperation. China hopes that the six countries remain true to the original aspiration of "sharing the same river and a common future", uphold the cooperation concept of development first, equality, practicality and efficiency, openness and inclusiveness, make unremitting and concerted efforts to seek cooperation and promote development, and jointly build a demonstration zone for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, a pioneer zone for the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and a pilot zone for the Global Security Initiative (GSI). By doing so, we will build a more resilient Lancang-Mekong Economic Development Belt and a closer community with a shared future of Lancang-Mekong Countries.
Wang Yi said, since last year, the six countries have earnestly implemented the consensus reached at the third LMC Leaders' Meeting, and worked together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and build an "immunity shield". We have advanced connectivity at a faster pace to build "development engines" together. We have actively carried out sub-national cooperation to build a "bridge of friendship". We have worked hard to expand cooperation on people's wellbeing and create a "happy homeland", making important contributions to regional stability and prosperity. We should seize the current good opportunity of booming regional cooperation, take more measures to consolidate foundations, and make more long-term plans. We should elevate the LMC to a new level by making efforts in the following six key directions: strengthening strategic guidance, deepening economic integration, expanding agricultural cooperation, adhering to green development, promoting digital cooperation and keeping closer cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Wang Yi announced that China will implement the Hundred, Thousand, Ten Thousand Action Plan on Lancang-Mekong Agricultural Cooperation, the Plan on Lancang-Mekong Water?Resources Benefitting the People, the Cooperation Plan on Lancang-Mekong Digital Economy, the Lancang-Mekong Space Cooperation Plan, the Lancang-Mekong Talent Plan, and the Lancang-Mekong Public Health Cooperation Plan, to share benefits of cooperation with the Mekong countries and add development momentum.
The participating foreign ministers held discussions on the theme of "Solidarity for Peace and Prosperity", and agreed that the LMC not only benefits the people of the LMC countries, but also vigorously promotes peace, development and prosperity in the region. The foreign ministers thanked China for its important role in deepening the LMC and its valuable support for the development of the Mekong countries. They appreciated the GDI and the GSI put forward by China, stressing that the two initiatives and the LMC, complementing and reinforcing each other, are of great significance for the six countries to jointly address current global challenges. The parties agreed on the six new directions of cooperation and welcomed China's six major plans benefitting the Mekong countries. They said, the LMC countries will continue to uphold the spirit of mutual respect, mutual trust, solidarity and coordination, and deepen cooperation in key areas, so as to make the LMC a driving force for inclusive and sustainable development and build the six LMC countries into a community that champions sovereign equality and multilateralism.
Wang Yi stressed, the six LMC countries enjoy geographical proximity and cultural affinity. As a cause jointly initiated and promoted by the six countries, the LMC has become an important sub-regional platform that improves people's wellbeing and focuses on development in an action-oriented approach, showing strong vitality. No matter how the international and regional situation may evolve, we must firm up our resolve in good neighborliness and friendship, persevere in mutually beneficial cooperation, share development outcomes, and jointly meet risks and challenges. We should contribute LMC wisdom to the economic recovery of the six countries, add LMC momentum to regional prosperity and revitalization, provide LMC experience for implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and jointly open up an even brighter future for the Lancang-Mekong region.
A joint press communique and four joint statements on deepening customs-trade security and clearance facilitation, agricultural cooperation and the guarantee of food security, disaster management cooperation, and cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations were issued at the meeting. The Progress Report of the Year 2021 on Implementing the Five-Year Plan of Action on Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (2018-2022) and the List of the Projects Supported by LMC Special Fund of 2022 were released at the meeting, demonstrating the fruitful outcomes of the LMC with detailed data.
During his stay in Myanmar, Wang Yi also held bilateral talks with Myanmar's Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son respectively, and attended the unveiling ceremony of the LMC National Coordination Unit (Myanmar) Building and other events.
