THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar hosted a ceremony to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the establishment of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) at the M-Gallery Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday evening.
Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe, Union ministers from Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund project implementing ministries, the Nay Pyi Taw Council chairman, deputy ministers, as well as ambassadors, heads of missions and representatives from Mekong-Lancang countries, senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and concerned ministries were present at the ceremony.
The Union minister for Foreign Affairs, together with ambassadors and heads of mission from the embassies of the MLC member countries, officially opened the photo exhibition marking the 10th Anniversary of the MLC with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Following the opening, Union ministers and dignitaries toured the exhibition, which features photographs of projects implemented in Myanmar under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund (LMCSF).
At the ceremony, the Union minister for Foreign Affairs delivered a commemorative speech highlighting that 2026 is a significant year for the region as the MLC enters into a new decade. He reiterated Myanmar’s commitment to the principles and vision of the MLC to build a community with a shared future which is peaceful, prosperous and sustainably developed. Recalling Myanmar’s significant journey as Co-Chair of MLC from 2020 to 2023, the Union minister underscored the successful hosting of the 4th MLC Leaders’ Meeting and the 7th MLC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, as well as the successful convening of the 6th and 9th MLC Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in cooperation with China as a Co-chair. He also mentioned the significant achievements during Myanmar’s co-chairmanship, such as the adoption of the Nay Pyi Taw Declaration and the five-year Plan of Actions of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (2023-2027), as well as reaching consensus among MLC countries on the establishment of the MLC innovation corridor’s meeting mechanism.
He further stated that Myanmar has received 132 projects through the LMCSF from 2017 to 2025, approximately US$38.6 million and has successfully implemented more than 100 projects. He emphasized that through the implementation of these projects, tangible progress has been achieved in promoting the socioeconomic development and regional integration under the MLC framework. In this regard, the Union minister expressed his appreciation to China for its continued assistance to Mekong member countries through the LMCSF.
The Union minister further noted that although the MLC has achieved significant results and remarkable progress over the past decade, member countries are currently facing various challenges, including shifts in the global political landscape, economic instability, and climate change. In order to overcome these challenges and to ensure sustained regional peace, security, and prosperity, closer cooperation among member countries remains essential.
Ms Ma Jia, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Myanmar, also delivered the commemorative speech.
Union ministers and dignitaries observed the documentary presentation on the achievements of MLC, which was followed by the commemorative dinner hosted by the Union minister for Foreign Affairs, and the traditional musical performance presented by a cultural troupe from the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs. Afterwards, Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe, and Ms Ma Jia, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Myanmar, together with the ambassadors and heads of mission from MLC embassies, presented gifts to the cultural troupe.
MLC is a sub-regional cooperation mechanism established in 2016. It aims to foster the regional sustainability and all-inclusive development among the six member Countries: Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. — MNA
