20/4/2007
Mekong Commission Conference

The international conference on the Mekong Commission will be held in Hanoi on April 23 and 24 at the invitation of the Vietnamese agriculture minister Mr. Cao Duc Phat and the Danish development and cooperation minister Ulla Tørnæs - Denmark being currently the largest donor to the Mekong River Commission. The purpose of the conference is to  enhance coordination between the Mekong Commission and its partners  (bilateral and development banks) for accelerated development of the  Mekong river basin.

On this occasion, Minister Tørnæs stated:

“The Mekong River Basin is a resource of great importance to the livelihoods of millions of poor people in the region. It is vital that this resource is protected and its sustainable development carefully planned to allow it to continue to generate benefits to the peoples in the Basin, not least the poor and marginalised. The Mekong River Commission has a key role to play in safeguarding the River's sustainable development. The international conference on the Mekong River Commission that Minister Phat and I will jointly host is an opportunity to promote increased political backing to the mandate of Mekong River Commission both among members of the organisation, other Mekong Countries and donors.”

The Mekong Commission, established in 1995, groups Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.  China and Myanmar are present as observers.  The  purpose is to develop the Mekong basin while preserving its ecological  balances.  The Mekong, which has considerable importance for the region in  terms of energy, transport, irrigation and fishing, is a crucial issue in  sub-regional cooperation.

To commemorate 50 years of Mekong cooperation, the Mekong Commission plans to publish a book and is looking to buy photos. Closing date 27 April 2007. For details click here