Fact Sheet: East Asia Summit Outcomes

President Obama attended the East Asia Summit (EAS) on November 20 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, as part of the Administration’s continued focus on rebalancing its engagement in Asia to reflect the economic and strategic importance of this dynamic region.  As an Asia-Pacific power the United States’ economic and security future is inextricably linked to the…

Fact Sheet: Lower Mekong Initiative Launches “Connect Mekong”

The Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) is a multilateral partnership effort initiated by the United States in 2009 for promoting cooperation in the Mekong sub-region in the areas of education, health, environment and water, connectivity, agriculture and food security, and energy security. Over the past four years, LMI has implemented programs through a variety of interagency…

Photo: President Barack Obama in a Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) Group Photo

President Barack Obama participates in a Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) group photo at the ASEAN Summit at Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov 20, 2012.  Pictured, from left: Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra; Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung; Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia: President Barack Obama; President Thein Sein of Burma; and…

Joint Press Statement between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of Thailand and President Barack Obama of the United States of America met today at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, on the eve of the anniversary of 180 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and the United States of America to chart the way for a deeper bilateral strategic partnership…

Press Release: Lower Mekong Initiative Third Regional Working Group Meeting in Phuket Consolidates New Elements and Encourages Medium-term Planning for LMI Countries

Thailand hosted delegations from all LMI countries for the September 27-28 Regional Working Group meeting of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI). The senior-level delegations comprised diplomats and officials from the participating nations, including representatives of such ministries/departments as foreign affairs, education, environment, public health, development, public works and transport, economic affairs, agriculture, labor, and energy.…

The U.S. Embassy Vientiane Launched a Program to Train Officials from All These Countries in English Language Skills

VIENTIANE - The Lower Mekong Initiative is a program to bring the nations that share the Mekong River (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam) together to jointly confront issues such as education, health, environment, and infrastructure. In February 2012, the U.S. Embassy launched a program to train officials from all these countries in English language skills,…

U.S. Moves to Strengthen ASEAN by Boosting the Lower Mekong Initiative

By Ernest Z. Bower, Prashanth ParameswaranDuring her visit to Southeast Asia earlier this month, U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton revealed an important tactic in the U.S. effort to strengthen its engagement with ASEAN: boosting the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI). The LMI is part of a larger U.S. strategy that involves locking mainland ASEAN countries—Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar,…

Press Releases: The 5th Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) Ministerial Meeting and the 2nd Friends of the Lower Mekong (FLM) Ministerial Meeting

On 13 July 2012, Mr. Arthayudh Srisamoot, Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, representing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the 5th Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) Ministerial Meeting and the 2nd Friends of the Lower Mekong (FLM) Meeting, on the sidelines of the 45th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in…

Lower Mekong Initiative Joint Statement on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

Following is the text of a joint statement issued for the second Lower Mekong Ministerial meeting on July 13, 2012, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia:We, as Lower Mekong Initiative ministers and senior officials, recognize that the economic, social, and political progress of our region can only be achieved with consistent efforts to advance gender equality and…

Fact Sheet: Lower Mekong Initiative Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy Dialogue

On July 12-13, the U.S. Government and the Royal Government of Cambodia convened the first-ever Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy Dialogue as part of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI). Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the LMI with the foreign ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam in 2009 to enhance cooperation among the…

Remarks at the Second Friends of the Lower Mekong Ministerial Meeting

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much for being here for the Friends of the Lower Mekong meeting, and let me begin by thanking our host, the Government of Cambodia. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, thank you so much. There are many familiar faces from last year’s meeting as well as a few new…

Statement of the Second Friends of the Lower Mekong Ministerial Meeting

Following is the text of a joint statement issued for the second Friends of the Lower Mekong Ministerial meeting on July 13, 2012, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia:On July 13, 2012, the Foreign Ministers and senior representatives of Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea (ROK), New Zealand, the Ministerial Representative of the EU, and a senior representative…