During his visit to Thailand, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Sunday asserted that a crucial aspect of India's Act East policy involved peace and prosperity in the Mekong region, while co-chairing the 12th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism in Bangkok.
In his opening remarks, Jaishankar said that the Mekong region has an enormous historical and contemporary significance for India. "Peace and prosperity in the region also play a pivotal role in realising Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's vision of security and growth for all in the region under India's Act East policy," he added.
The External Affairs Minister highlighted India's commitment in enhancing comprehensive connectivity in the region by underscoring many flagship projects like the MGC, MGC scholarships, the Centre for Excellence in Software Development training and the MGC traditional textile museum.
“It epitomises our commitment to build upon a rich heritage and channel our collective aspirations into tangible actions that will positively impact the lives of our citizens,” he said.
He also praised the efforts of many countries in the region over their several development initiatives, saying that a collaborative effort will help in fulfilling the contemporary aspirations of people and bolster shared opportunities and growth stability.
Jaishankar co-chaired the MGC meeting along with Laos Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith. Sharing details of the meet in a tweet, the EAM said that it prioritised the implementation of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. The government was aiming to make the highway operational by December 2019.
The MGC meeting also focused on conclusion of the Motor Vehicles Agreement between India, Myanmar and Thailand, as well as establishing an MGC Business Council to foster economic cooperation.
On Saturday, Jaishankar said that the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway had been a "very difficult project" because of the situation in Myanmar and that it was the government's priority to find ways to resume it. Around 70 per cent of construction work on the ambitious trilateral highway has been completed.
About Mekong-Ganga Cooperation
The MGC - launched in 2000 in Vientiane, by six countries - is an initiative by six countries, India Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The main objective of this initiative is to enhance cooperation in tourism, culture, education, as well as transport and communications.
It also focuses on the areas of agriculture, health and traditional medicine, water resources management, science and technology, skill development among others. The last meeting was held in August 2019 in Bangkok.
Jaishankar in Thailand
The External Affairs Minister arrived in Bangkok from Indonesia on Saturday on an official visit and met hai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai before the MGC meeting.
He is set to attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Foreign Ministers' Retreat later today. The retreat will discuss various ways to deepen the BIMSTEC agenda and strengthen the organisation, as per the External Affairs Ministry.
(with inputs from PTI)
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