PM’s RoK trip expected to further enhance bilateral relations
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The leaders of RoK and the five Mekong nations pose before the beginning of the first Mekong-RoK summit in Busan, Wednesday. From left, Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn. Photo: Yonhap

The seven sectors are culture and tourism, human resources development, agriculture and rural development, infrastructure, information and communication technology (ICT), environment, and non-traditional security challenges, according to a joint statement issued after the inaugural Mekong- RoK Summit in Busan.

The document is titled "Mekong-Han River Declaration for Establishing Partnership for People, Prosperity and Peace."

RoK President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of the Mekong five ― Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam ― laid out a vision for closer partnerships in the pursuit of a Mekong River miracle.

They agreed to "work together to bring about economic development and prosperity in the Mekong region, akin to the Miracle of the Han River, the rapid economic development that the ROK has experienced," the Busan declaration read.

They also agreed to "develop ICT-driven projects including e-Government and Smart Cities that will promote digital economy toward the 4th Industrial Revolution and technological advancement in the region based on the shared vision that ICT is a driving force for innovation, sustainable economic development and prosperity in the region," it added.

For sustainable development, the two sides plan to establish a joint "biodiversity center" to contribute to biodiversity conservation in the Mekong subregion and a "water resources joint research center in RoK.”

The First Mekong- RoK Summit underway. Photo: Yonhap

Kicking off the session at the seaside Nurimaru APEC House conference hall earlier in the day, Moon said that if RoK's experience is combined with the "dynamics" of the Mekong region, the Miracle on the Han River will lead to the Miracle of the Mekong River.

"South Korea will be with Mekong, with a belief that the development of Mekong is that of South Korea," he stressed.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha co-chaired the meeting joined by Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen canceled his trip to Busan this week, citing his mother-in-law's poor health.

Although Hun Sen was absent, Moon thanked him for proposing that the RoK-Mekong summit replace an annual ministerial meeting that began in 2011.

"Mekong has become a land of opportunity," Moon said, adding that RoK has become a "special friend" of Mekong, as it has forged relations of co-prosperity with ASEAN in preparation for the Asia-Pacific era.

RoK-Mekong trade volume totaled USD 84.5 billion in 2018, a 2.4 times increase over eight years.

"Mekong has become a core development partner" to account for 20 percent of RoK's official development assistance (ODA), the president noted.

The Mekong summit followed the two-day ASEAN- RoK Commemorative Summit in Busan to mark the 30^th anniversary of the launch of their dialogue relationship./.