Japan pledged to provide JPY500 billion ($6.4 billion) to Mekong nations over three years in implementing projects in all fields within the Mekong-Japan cooperation framework. This announcement was made at the 4th Meeting of Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers in Bali, Indonesia on July 21. At the meeting, Japan also pledged to give about $20 million to assist the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle. Also at the event, Mekong and Japanese FMs discussed a plan to boost cooperation between the two sides and some regional and international issues of mutual concerns. They agreed committed to boosting cooperation and multifaceted relations, not only in the economic sector, but also in politics, culture and other fields, with a final target to build fine relations among nations. The third Mekong-Japan Summit will be organized on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, scheduled for November in Indonesia. The Meeting of Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers was attended by the FMs from Vietnam, Japan, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand under the Chair of Japanese FM Takeaki Matsumoto. (www.bernama.com.my [1] Jul 25)
