Vietnam\'s to host Mekong River Commission\'s second Summit

Vietnam's southern economic hub Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City will host the second summit of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) on April 2-5 that focuses on cross border cooperation, according to organizers on Monday. Themed "Cooperation for Water, Energy and Food Security in Trans-boundary Basins under a Changing Climate", the summit aims to strengthen the commitment of cross-border cooperation in the sustainable development of the Mekong River Basin's water resources, which is a pressing demand along with the need for water, energy, and food resources. The summit will highlight the will and political commitment of leaders from the MRC member countries to enhance regional affiliation in overcoming all challenges for the sustainable development of the Mekong River Basins. The meeting will also outline priority areas for the MRC in the immediate future, especially in ensuring water, energy, and food security and reducing the impact of climate change. The leaders are expected to release a joint statement at the end of the event. The Vietnamese delegation, led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, will join others from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and dialogue partners, China and Myanmar, at the event. Representatives from development partners, donors and international organizations will also be attending the summit. On the threshold of the summit, an international seminar will be held from April 2-3 to discuss regional and global issues of common concern, such as water, energy, and food security, risk management and climate change adaptation in trans-boundary basins. The first MRC summit was held in Hua Hin, Thailand, in 2010, to mark the 15th anniversary of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin (1995 Mekong Agreement). All six riparian nations were in attendance, including Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The Mekong River Commission (MRC) is an inter-government body charged "to promote and coordinate sustainable management and development of water and related resources for the countries' mutual benefit and the people's well-being by implementing strategic programs and activities and providing scientific information and policy advice."