A seminar was held in Hanoi on November 29-30 to raise public awareness of Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) cooperative programmes
The seminar, jointly held by the US Embassy in Vietnam and the Green Innovation and Development Centre, drew representatives from non-governmental organisations and scientists from Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar.
Themed “Cooperation for Sustainable Development”, the seminar aimed to increase the capacity of those involved and promote open and honest discussions among member countries to find solutions for sustainable development in each country and the whole region.
At the seminar, ADB expert Yumiko Tamura presented approaches to multinational cooperation and ADB-funded projects for countries in the lower Mekong region.
Participants learnt about scenario planning, strategic planning and shared best practices in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The Lower Mekong Initiative was created in response to the July 23, 2009 meeting between the US Secretary of State and the Foreign Ministers of Lower Mekong countries, including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam in Phuket, Thailand.
The United States has committed substantial resources to LMI for the next three years through the Asia-Pacific Strategic Engagement Initiative (APSEI). The initiative allows LMI members to support regional efforts that will cultivate political and economic integration and narrow the development gap in ASEAN.
An exhibition titled “Bridging Knowledge around the Lower Mekong Region” was also held as part of the seminar.