MUSP-Republic of Korea Collaboration for the Mekong (2019-Present)

This project provides Mekong partner countries and the Mekong River Commission with modeling and real-time forecasting tools and training to better predict and mitigate the impacts of natural hazards, such as floods and droughts, through a collaborative partnership between MUSP SIP, the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water), the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), and…

Joint Press Statement of the Friends of the Mekong “Recovery and Resilience”

Joint Press Statement of the Friends of the Mekong “Recovery and Resilience” - United States Department of State The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Governments and Members of the Friends of the Mekong Group on the occasion of the 2021 Friends of…

United States, South Korea, and Mekong River Commission Partnership Launches

Senior officials from the United States, Republic of Korea, and the Mekong River Commission (MRC) launched cooperation on July 20 on water data utilization and capacity building for the Mekong region. The partnership will see specialists and scientists from Korea Water Resources Corporation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and NASA provide at least six training events to professionals from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam on various decision-support system topics, including modelling, water data utilization and knowledge transfer.

“Towards a Resilient and Connected Mekong:” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Atul Keshap’s Remarks at the 2021 Friends of the Mekong Policy Dialogue

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Keshap provided opening remarks at the 2021 Friends of the Mekong Policy Dialogue on January 12, 2021.

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.

Release of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy-Republic of Korea New Southern Policy Joint Fact Sheet

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Japan and Korea Marc Knapper and Republic of Korea Director-General for North American Affairs Ko Yunju met in Seoul on November 13. They discussed the release of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy-ROK New Southern Policy Joint Fact Sheet and our countries’ enduring commitment to creating a safe, prosperous, and dynamic Indo-Pacific region based on the principles of openness, inclusiveness, transparency, respect for international law, and ASEAN centrality.

Strengthening the U.S.-Mekong Partnership

The Mekong Matters to America The Mekong region – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam – is strategically important to the United States. The region is a focus of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy, and integral to our engagement with ASEAN. The United States aims to uphold sovereignty, transparency, good governance, ASEAN centrality, and a…