Mekong - U.S. Partnership
United States and Vietnam Convene 17 Friends of the Mekong in Support of a Secure, Prosperous, and Open Mekong Region
On January 12, the United States and Vietnam co-hosted the first Friends of the Mekong Policy Dialogue under the new Mekong-U.S. Partnership. In his remarks, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Ambassador Atul Keshap emphasized that the United States is committed to a secure, open, and prosperous Mekong region, highlighting the importance of this region to ASEAN centrality and to the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. The 17 participating countries and institutions under the Mekong-U.S. Partnership and the Friends of the Mekong offered recommendations on sustainable infrastructure development and connectivity; human resource development and building the foundations for a Mekong digital economy; sustainable water, natural resource management, and environmental protection; and COVID response and regional collaboration on health security.
Launch of the Mekong Dam Monitor (MDM)
Launched on December 15, 2020, the Mekong Dam Monitor (MDM) is the region's premier water monitoring tool. This monitor is open-source and freely available for users on the Mekong Water Data Initiative (MWDI) website - MekongWater.org. The Mekong Dam Monitor features virtual dam and reservoir gauges that use remote sensing, satellite imagery, and GIS analysis to provide weekly reports about environmental indicators in the Mekong Basin. The Stimson Center's Southeast Asia Program and Eyes on Earth, Inc. collaborative partnership developed the MDM with funding support from the Mekong-U.S. Partnership. This publicly available tool will significantly expand the water data available in the region, putting information into the hands of the people who need it the most so they can make informed decisions affecting livelihoods and regional security.
Mekong-U.S. Partnership at a glance
The Mekong-U.S. Partnership expands cooperation between the United States and the countries of the Mekong region.
Mekong-U.S. Partnership Joint Statement
The United States and Mekong Partner countries released a Joint Statement on the launch of the Mekong-U.S. Partnership.
Deputy Secretary of State Launches new Mekong-U.S. Partnership
Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Beigun and the Foreign Ministers of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam launched the Mekong-U.S. Partnership at the first Mekong-U.S. Partnership Ministerial Meeting held online on September 11. The ASEAN Secretary General joined this inaugural meeting. With this new Partnership, the United States and Mekong partner countries are building…
Japan-U.S. Joint Statement on Japan-U.S.-Mekong Power Partnership (JUMPP)
The United States and Japan released a Joint Statement on the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Japan-U.S.-Mekong Power Partnership (JUMPP). This statement affirms the commitment promoting regional energy integration and market development and accelerate Mekong sub-regional infrastructure connectivity. It also highlights projects supported by JUMPP over the last year.
