"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] Chair's Statement of the Eighth Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting

[Place] Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
[Date] August 5, 2015
[Source] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
[Notes]
[Full text]

1. The Eighth Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 5 August 2015 back-to-back with the 48th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. The Meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Minoru Kiuchi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and participated by H.E. Mr. Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia;

H.E. Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic; H.E. U Wunna Maung Lwin, Union Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; H.E. General Tanasak Patimapragorn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand; and H.E. Mr. Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

2. The Ministers highly appreciated the important outcomes achieved in the implementation of the "Tokyo Strategy 2012" with regard to areas of cooperation such as infrastructure, trade and industry, environment protection and response to climate change, human resource development, and people-to-people exchange. The Ministers had fruitful discussions on various issues of common interest, including the progress and the future direction of the Mekong-Japan cooperation, including development of Special Economic Zones and cross-border special economic zones, capacity building and disaster risk reduction. The Ministers also exchanged views on regional and global issues of common concern. The Ministers reaffirmed their determination to further strengthen the Mekong-Japan cooperation.

3. The Ministers highly appreciated the successful outcome of the 7th Mekong-Japan Summit held in Tokyo, 4 July, 2015, where the Leaders of Japan and the Mekong region countries adopted the "New Tokyo Strategy 2015", which puts forward a future vision for the Mekong region and new pillars of the Mekong-Japan cooperation. The Ministers of the Mekong region countries also acknowledged Japan's Official Development Assistance of 750 billion Yen to the Mekong region for the next three years.

4. Pursuant to the instruction of the leaders of Japan and the Mekong region countries at the 7th Mekong-Japan Summit, the Ministers adopted the "Mekong-Japan Action Plan for Realization of the New Tokyo Strategy 2015" which laid out the concrete actions and measures under the new four pillars of the Mekong-Japan cooperation:

"Industrial infrastructure development in the Mekong region and strengthening "hard connectivity" within the region and with the surrounding regions (Pillar 1)", "Industrial human resource development and strengthening "soft connectivity" (Pillar 2)", "Sustainable development towards the realization of a Green Mekong"(Pillar 3)", and "Coordination with various stakeholders (Pillar 4)" to enhance effectiveness and reduce duplication.

5. The Ministers recognized that the Action Plan would contribute to future success of a "quality growth" of the Mekong region countries and shared the view that the speedy and effective implementation of the Action Plan would bring about further development and prosperity in the Mekong Sub-region in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

6. The Ministers looked forward to convening the Ninth Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Lao PDR in 2016 back to back with the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

(End)