U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (DAS) for Multilateral Affairs Dr. Jung H. Pak underscored her country’s longstanding support for the peoples of the Mekong sub-region.
The stand was highlighted in a press release issued by the U.S. Embassy following meetings of the DAS with key Cambodian partners of the Mekong-U.S. Partnership (MUSP) on the margins of the East Asia Summit Senior Officials’ Meetings.
“The Mekong countries can count on the United States as a strong and reliable partner now and well in the future. My visit to Cambodia shows the importance of working with Mekong countries bilaterally and through the MUSP to promote connectivity, transparency, and sustainable development across borders,” she was quoted in the release.
In support of these initiatives while in Cambodia, DAS Dr. Pak visited the Regional Flood and Drought Management Centre at the Mekong River Commission (MRC) where she lauded the MRC’s region-wide approach to tackle transboundary water issues and emphasised U.S. commitment to strengthen the MRC’s capacity through training and technical assistance.
She also learned about Mekong-related issues including migration, trafficking, natural resource management, business, and renewable energy and shared U.S. priorities in the Mekong sub-region from various regional experts based in Phnom Penh.
In her discussion with young Cambodians at the AmCam Exchange, U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh’s EducationUSA space at Exchange Square Mall, DAS Dr. Pak encouraged young leaders to work together to solve challenges impacting the entire sub-region to achieve better results.
According to the press release, the MUSP promotes the stability, peace, and prosperity of the Mekong sub-region through cooperation among the Mekong partner countries and the United States.
It reinforces the strong and longstanding relationship among the United States, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
From fiscal year 2009 to 2022, the U.S. government has provided over US$5.8 billion in bilateral and regional assistance to the five Mekong partner countries, it underlined.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press