At the outset, on behalf of the government of the Lao PDR and my own behalf, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Ministry of Water Resources of the People's Republic of China for inviting me to attend and address at the 2nd Mekong-Lancang Water Resources Cooperation Forum via video link today which is indeed a crucial event for us to share our common vision, experiences and priorities on water resources cooperation of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation.  

Distinguished Participants, 

First of all, I would like to commend China for proposing the theme “Working Together to Address Challenges and Promote Common Development” for this year’s Forum which is very relevant and timely given the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, which continues to be on the rise around the globe. In addition, we have seen increasing challenges in various aspects, including widespread poverty, widening development gap within and among countries, as well as serious impacts of climate change and natural disaster in our region. However, with the strong partnership among our riparian countries, it is observed that we have further upheld our cooperation on water resources management and development.  

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Since the establishment of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation mechanism in 2016, notable progress has been made through water resources cooperation. The Lao PDR, together with the other five member countries, has been actively implementing the Five-Year Action Plan on Mekong-Lancang Water Resources Cooperation 2018-2022.  

The 1st Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Forum in Kunming, China has laid down an innovative platform for policy dialogue, technical exchanges and economic cooperation in the water sector as well as an ideal place for water researchers and technical professionals to exchange experiences in water management, facilitate cooperation, and thereby lead to the promotion of sustainable water utilization and socio-economic development in the Mekong-Lancang region.  

Following the first Forum, all riparian countries have reached an agreement on year-round Provision of Hydrological Information of the Lancang River. These are excellent examples of genuine cooperation and engagement among our Mekong-Lancang riparian counties towards sustainable development.    

In this connection, I also would like to take this opportunity to profoundly thank the Government of the People’s Republic of China for the generous support provided to our country through the Mekong-Lancang Special Fund in various aspects of water management, such as to facilitate and enhance capacity of Lao water sector in wide range from data & information management, dam safety, rural water supply, river monitoring etc.  

Excellencies, 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2nd Mekong-Lancang Water Resources Cooperation Forum demonstrates our shared commitment and solidarity to further enhance the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation. This forum gives us an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas with participants from various backgrounds including young people involved in the implementation of the Mekong-Lancang Water Resources Cooperation. I am confident that our collective supports, active participation, and comprehensive discussions during our 2-days forum will create a better understanding of water condition and potential solutions to address the challenges and development in our region, which is ultimately achieving sustainable development. 

Last but not least, on behalf of the Lao Delegations, I wish to thank the Ministry of Water Resources of China for its proposal to support member countries, which aim at delivering the Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation to a new height. Taking this opportunity, I would like to reiterate that we stand ready to work with our fellow member countries in addressing challenges and promoting development in water resources towards achieving our common sustainable development goals. I look forwards to seeing this forum as a step to bring us closer collaboration to move forward to a wider and deeper level, through policy dialogues, joint research, capacity building, and cooperative projects. Finally, I wish the 2nd Mekong-Lancang Water Resources Cooperation Forum a great success and fruitful outcomes. 

Thank you very much