"The World and Japan" Database (Project Leader: TANAKA Akihiko)
Database of Japanese Politics and International Relations
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS); Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (IASA), The University of Tokyo

[Title] Chairman's Statement of the Third Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting

[Place] Hanoi, Vietnam
[Date] July 21, 2010
[Source] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
[Notes]
[Full text]

1. The Third Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 21 July 2010 back to back with ASEAN AMM 43. The Meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Pham Gia Khiem, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and participated by H.E. Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, H.E. Mr. Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Mr. Alounkeo Kittikhoun, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, H.E. Mr. Nyan Win, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Union of Myanmar, H.E. Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.

2. The Ministers had fruitful discussions on various issues of common interest, including the progress and the future direction of the Mekong-Japan cooperation, in the spirit of friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation for peace, development and prosperity in the Mekong region as well as in the wider region of East Asia. The Ministers also exchanged views on regional and global issues of common concern.

3. The Ministers reaffirmed their determination to strengthen the Mekong-Japan cooperation and considered "Tokyo Declaration" and "Action Plan 63" of the First Mekong - Japan Summit Meeting as the guidelines for a successful establishment of the "New Partnership for the Common Flourishing Future" between Japan and the Mekong region countries.

4. The Ministers also highly appreciated the remarkable progress of the implementation of "Action Plan 63" and other initiatives proposed by the Mekong region countries since the First Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting. In this regard, the Ministers took note the initial discussion on the two initiatives proposed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam in the First Mekong - Japan Summit.

5. The Ministers of the Mekong region countries welcomed Japan's detailed explanation of "A Decade toward the Green Mekong" Initiative and expressed their willingness to join hands in bringing the initiative into reality.

6. The Minister of Japan expressed his willingness to continue the assistance to the Mekong region countries for the development of the physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity in connection with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity. In this regard, the Ministers of the Mekong region countries welcomed Japan's proposal for Japan and relevant partners to engage in a dialogue with ASEAN countries, which coincide with ASEAN's call to explore the ways to cooperate on ASEAN Connectivity and beyond, thereby contributing to the consolidation of ASEAN integration and community-building process. The Ministers emphasized their common perspective that infrastructure, institutional and human resources development in the Mekong region countries should take place in harmony with the development in ASEAN and in East Asia. The Ministers also welcomed Thailand's strong commitment as a donor and a partner in the development of the Mekong region.

7. The Ministers reaffirmed their determination to enhance close cooperation on regional and global issues of common concern, and to deepen and broaden the existing Mekong-Japan cooperation to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the region. In this regard, the Ministers discussed, in the atmosphere of mutual understanding, some regional and international issues of common interests such as Korean Peninsula, Myanmar, the United Nations reform including the permanent membership of UN Security Council.

8. With respect to the Korean Peninsula, the Ministers emphasized the importance of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in accordance with the September 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks and the relevant UNSC resolutions, and reiterated the need to fully comply with the related UNSC resolutions. The Ministers also stressed the need for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to address the humanitarian concerns of the international community including the abduction issue.

9. The Ministers expected that the upcoming general elections in Myanmar this year be conducted in a free, fair and inclusive manner, with the participation of all the parties concerned, thereby contributing to stability and development of Myanmar.

10. The Ministers reaffirmed the urgent need for the United Nations reform, especially the Security Council reform through expanding both its permanent and non-permanent membership. Japan highly appreciated the Mekong region countries' continuous support for Japan to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

11. As stated in the "Tokyo Declaration", the Ministers looked forward to convening the Second Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting in Hanoi in October 2010 as well as the next Foreign Ministers' Meeting in 2011 to be organized by Japan.