Mekong - U.S. Partnership
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…
U.S. Supports Lao Officials to Learn English
The U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of Public Works & Transport successfully concluded a series of four seminars aimed at improving specialized English skills for Lao officials working on health, environment, and infrastructure issues. In total, 111 Lao officials from various Ministries received training on English communication skills during the program, which began in February…
Press Release: U.S. Embassy Launches English Seminars at Hanoi University through the Lower Mekong Initiative
HANOI – On Tuesday February 7 the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi launched the first of several English language training seminars for 17 government officials from Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos as part of a broader cooperative effort under the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI). The seminars are hosted by Hanoi University and Vietnam’s participants come from the…
Press Release: USAID Awards $9.4 Million Contract to Strengthen the Resilience of Mekong Communities to Climate Change
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI) a $9.4 million, five-year contract to help rural communities in the Lower Mekong River basin address the negative impacts of climate change. This new regional project will apply cutting-edge science and analysis to help communities in the four Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI)…
U.S. Environmental Expert Shana L. Udvardy Discusses Flood Disaster Management
The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh organized an environmental speaker series from Sunday, August 14 to Thursday, August 18, 2011, featuring environmental expert Shana L. Udvardy, Director of Flood Management Policy at American Rivers, a U.S. conservation non-profit organization focused on protecting rivers and preserving clean water to sustain people, wildlife, and nature. During her…
Clinton Promotes Priority of Lower Mekong Initiative
Washington — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the Lower Mekong Initiative is seeking greater ways to help the countries along the Mekong River improve their infrastructure, education, health and environment.The Initiative, launched by Clinton in 2009, includes Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. It is a subregional group begun to help build capacity. In…
Two Mighty Rivers, Intertwined to Protect Their Futures
Washington — In 2010, organizations that oversee two of the world’s most powerful rivers came together to chart a better course for water-resource management.When the Mississippi River Commission and the Mekong River Commission signed a partnership agreement in May 2010, they focused on sustainable development along their two river basins and on disaster preparation. Though the regional context may…
Cambodia Hosts First Lower Mekong Initiative Working Group Meeting
Representatives from Cambodia Laos, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam took part in the March 17-18 Lower Mekong Initiative Working group meeting which was hosted by Cambodia in Phnom Penh. Delegations from the five nations worked together to further advance regional cooperation in education, environment, health and infrastructure, in order to formulate a draft LMI…
U.S. Embassy Supports First Clean Cookstove Workshop in Laos
Thirty-four experts, academics, and entrepreneurs from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand gathered to discuss how to create a cleaner, more efficient stove during the Stove Design & Testing Workshop in Vientiane, Laos on March 14-16. Participants shared methods to design, evaluate, and commercialize improved-stoves that use less fuel and produce less smoke.Exposure to smoke from traditional…
U.S. Repairing Ties with Lower Mekong Countries
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…
U.S. to Spend $187 Million on Lower Mekong Initiative
Washington — The United States will spend approximately $187 million on projects to help four nations of the Lower Mekong River basin lessen the impact of climate change on water resources, food security and the health and livelihoods of nearly 60 million people.During the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting July 22 in…
