1. The Fourth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Luang Prabang City, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) on 17 December 2018 and attended by H.E. Saleumxay Kommasith, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR, H.E. Wang Yi, State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, H.E. Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. U Kyaw Tin, Union Minister for International Cooperation of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, H.E. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, and H.E. Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. The meeting was co- chaired by the Lao and Chinese Foreign Ministers.

2. The Ministers, with a view to raise the public awareness and enhance the publicity of the LMC, witnessed the LMC Song “Lancang and Mekong, A River of Friendship”.

3. The Ministers acknowledged the theme “Enhancing Partnership for Shared Prosperity” and the logo of the Third LMC Leaders’ Meeting. The theme and the logo can be used in meetings and relevant activities during the co-chairmanship of the Lao PDR and China for LMC 2018-2020.

4. The Ministers had an in-depth exchange of views and reached a consensus on the latest development and implementing the outcomes of the Second LMC Leaders' Meeting and the Third LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The Ministers appreciated the Progress Report of the Year 2018 on Implementing the Five-Year Plan of Action on Mekong- Lancang Cooperation (2018-2022) jointly formulated by all parties.

5. The Ministers noted with satisfaction that the application and approval of the projects of the LMC Special Fund 2018 have been completed and announced the List of those projects. The Ministers also noted with satisfaction that most of the projects of the LMC Special Fund 2017 identified at the Third LMC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting have been completed or made substantive progress, and believed that they would promote the socio- economic development of the region.

6. The Ministers noted with satisfaction that the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center, the Lancang-Mekong Environmental Cooperation Center and the Global Center for Mekong Studies have sped up their operation, and commended the successful convening of the First Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Forum, the First Lancang-Mekong Production Capacity Cooperation Forum, and the Second Lancang-Mekong Village Head Forum. The Ministers believed that the Centers and Forums have played an important supporting role in promoting LMC practical cooperation.

7. The Ministers agreed to promote the synergy of national development strategies, bring into full play resource endowment and comparative advantage, promote rational flow and optimal allocation of production factors, and start discussion on concretization of jointly building a LMC Economic Development Belt for mutual benefit and shared prosperity.

8. The Ministers spoke highly of the successful convening of the First “Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Week” in the six member countries to commemorate the second anniversary of the establishment of the LMC in last March, which reflected the determination of the six countries to strengthen cooperation. The Ministers agreed that the 2018 LMC Media Summit enhanced publicity and visibility of the LMC and raised the public awareness of the LMC.

9. The Ministers expressed congratulations on the successful convening of the Eighth and Ninth LMC Joint Diplomatic Working Group Meeting and the Seventh LMC Senior Officials’ Meeting in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. The meetings made substantive preparations and paved the way for the successful conclusion of this Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

10. The Ministers agreed to conduct high-quality production capacity cooperation, explore the initiatives of the year of production capacity cooperation, the Lancang-Mekong Production Capacity Cooperation Alliance, multi-nation, multi-park cooperation, and integrated regional power market, etc., and speed up the formulation Cooperation Plan on Connectivity among the Lancang-Mekong Countries and development plans of cross- border economic and production capacity cooperation.

11. The Ministers commended the positive role of the LMC in enhancing people’s livelihood of the six countries, and decided to carry out a series of new projects in the areas of people’s livelihood, such as youth volunteer, youth exchange, dam safety, women empowerment, and poverty reduction capacity.

12. The Ministers applauded the hard work of the Joint Working Groups of key priority areas, commended the in-depth exchanges and reiterated the importance of cooperation among the LMC member countries. The Ministers agreed to promote greater cooperation in areas such as education, customs, health and youth, and to explore ways to promote cooperation at local level, to further advance the socio-economic development and cooperation among the LMC member countries.

13. The Ministers welcomed the Five-Year Action Plan for Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation 2018-2022 formulated by the water administration authorities of the six countries, and expected the six countries to realize overall improvement of water resources cooperation and management in accordance with the Action Plan.

14. The Ministers commended the significant role played by the National Secretariats and Coordination Units of the six countries in promoting Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, appreciated the First Training Program for LMC National Secretariats and Coordination Units held by the China Secretariat, and called for further enhancement of the liaison mechanism of LMC National Secretariats and Coordination Units.

15. The Ministers agreed that optimizing LMC working structure would contribute to integration and coordination of the LMC and its development in a standardized and efficient way, and to enhance capacity of National Secretariat – Coordination Unit.

16. The Ministers also agreed to continue to promote the synergy between the LMC and national development strategies of member countries, the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ACMECS Master Plan 2019-2023, and the Belt and Road Initiative to achieve coordinated development of the LMC with relevant regional and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms such as ASEAN, ACMECS, GMS, and MRC.

17. The Ministers underlined the vital need of maintaining an open world economy and upholding the rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization at its core. The Ministers reaffirmed that the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation will be based on the principles of consensus, equality, mutual consultation and coordination, voluntarism, common contribution and shared benefits, and respect for the United Nations Charter and international laws; and in the spirit of friendship, openness and inclusiveness. All parties are encouraged to strengthen mutual understanding and trust, beef up consultation and cooperation, and work together to build an open world economy, and a Community of Shared Future of Peace and Prosperity among Lancang-Mekong Countries, so as to achieve national and regional prosperity in the 21st Century, building on the contribution of various LMC programmes and initiatives, including a LMC Economic Development Belt.

18. The Ministers expressed their readiness to work together for the complete success and positive outcomes of the Fifth LMC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in December 2019 in China and the Third LMC Leaders’ Meeting in January 2020 in Lao PDR.

19. The Lao and Chinese Foreign Ministers jointly held a press briefing to the media after the meeting.

20. The Ministers expressed their appreciation to the Government and people of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic for their kind hospitality and excellent arrangements for the Meeting.