READOUT
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus:
On Friday, September 11, the United States, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the ASEAN Secretariat launched the Mekong-U.S. Partnership. The Partnership will expand on cooperation begun in 2009 under the Lower Mekong Initiative by strengthening the autonomy, economic independence, and sustainable development of the Mekong partner countries and promoting a transparent, rules-based approach to transboundary challenges.
The United States, represented at the first U.S.-Mekong Partnership Ministerial Meeting by Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, announced more than $150 million in planned additional resources to support COVID-19 recovery ($52 million), to counter transnational crime ($55 million), to develop energy markets under Asia EDGE ($33 million), and to counter trafficking in persons ($2 million). The United States is committed to supporting the resilience and autonomy of countries in the Mekong region and will work with all partners who share our principled, transparent approach.
For more information please see: http://www.mekonguspartnership.org.
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