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…
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…
Fact Sheet: Asia-Pacific Strategic Engagement Initiative
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the Asia-Pacific Strategic Engagement Initiative (APSEI) on July 12 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. APSEI is a new integrated assistance framework that engages on current pressing bilateral and transnational issues, and positions the United States and its partners to sustain regional stability and support an inclusive regional economy in…
Remarks from the Fifth Lower Mekong Initiative Ministerial Meeting
SECRETARY CLINTON: (In progress.) The United States is proud of the work we are doing together in the LMI. It is a key component of our ongoing cooperation with ASEAN and efforts to spur regional integration and close the development gap. It’s also a key component of our larger strategy in Asia, where we are working…
Fact Sheet: Lower Mekong Initiative
The Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) is a multinational effort initiated by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2009 to foster integrated sub-regional cooperation and capacity building among Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, in the areas of education, health, environment, and connectivity. Burma formally joined the initiative in July 2012.The United States intends to…
Statement on the Fifth Lower Mekong Initiative Ministerial Meeting
On July 13, 2012, the Foreign Ministers of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam -- and the U.S. Secretary of State met in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for the 5th Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) Ministerial Meeting. They formally welcomed Myanmar as the sixth member of the LMI. The six Ministers emphasized the value of the…
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…
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…
Opening Address to the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy Dialogue for the Lower Mekong Initiative
It gives me great pleasure to add my welcome on behalf of the United States to all of you gathered here in Siam Reap for this first ever gender equality and women’s empowerment policy dialogue as part of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI). I have always wanted to come to this beautiful country. I know…
