Mekong - U.S. Partnership
A newly devised initiative is working towards deepening cooperation between the U.S. and Mekong basin countries in the areas of education, health and environment, a report has said.
The report was distributed as part of a lecture this week on the Lower Mekong Initiative and its significance as part of the Obama administration's policy towards reengagement with the Greater Mekong Sub-Region.
The lecture, organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and sponsored by the U.S. Embassy, was run by an expert on international borders and security in the Lower Mekong region at the Washington-based Stimson Centre, Dr. Richard Cronin.
The lecture aimed at creating a better understanding on cooperation between the U.S. and the four lower Mekong states – Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam – as well as the Obama administration's policy on engagement with these countries.
The U.S.-Lower Mekong Initiative is a newly introduced policy by the Obama administration to reengage with the region.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the initiative at the ASEAN meetings in Phuket, Thailand in July last year.
The policy was also raised at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting held in Hanoi recently, which indicated that the areas of cooperation would focus on education, health and the environment.
Source URL: http://laos.usembassy.gov/psd_aug_2010.html
