His Excellency Mr. E Jingping, Minister of Water Resources of China 

Excellencies, Heads of Delegation, 

Distinguished Delegates,  

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Today marks an important occasion as the 1st Ministerial Meeting of Mekong- Lancang Water Resources Cooperation come together to share our common aspirations and goals, challenges and opportunities, as well as experiences in water development, management and governance.  

From the Lao perspective, I fully believe this meeting is a success. Lao PDR is a small country, nevertheless we hope of a day when our rich water and natural resources will turn Lao PDR into a developed nation, connecting our neighboring countries in a region of growth, peace and prosperity. To do so the Lao PDR musts more improve the human resources capacity, construct water infrastructures and preserve our critical environmental assets in order to capture opportunities, address challenges and ensure sustainable development.  

However, the above mentioned statement cannot be achieved without the collaboration from our riparian neighbors-this is the purpose of our Mekong-Lancang water resources cooperation. Today I am heartened to learn that we all share common interests, excited to hear strong desire to tackle common challenges, impressed by the experiences, innovations and creativities that each of you shared and appreciate the expression of goodwill, support and willingness to extend a hand further so we could reach a shared prosperous future.  

Last but not least, I would like to thanks our host the Government and the people of China for the initiative and preparation to bring us together. I thank my fellow ministers and country representatives for sharing your perspectives and ideas. I look forward to collaborating with you more and to starting tomorrow in Chengdu city. 

Thank you very much 

Khob Jai Lai Lai 

(Fei Chang Gan Xie) 非常感谢