15 Aug
STATE COUNSELLOR Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attended a ceremony to mark the Mekong-Japan Exchange Year 2019, held at the Thingaha Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.
The artistes from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture performed with Myanmar songs, traditional dances from Mekong region countries and Japan and a group dance to honor Mekong-Japan exchange. The State Counsellor presented a floral gift basket to the performers.
In delivering a speech, the State Counsellor said that the Mekong-Japan cooperation programme was started in 2007, and she expressed thanks for the assistance of Japan to the underdeveloped countries as the programme was aimed for the development of social and economic sectors in Mekong region countries.
The Tokyo Strategy 2018 for Mekong-Japan Cooperation was adopted for a three-year action plan for cooperation from 2019 to 2022, and the plan would focus on three new main pillars of vibrant and effective connectivity, people-centered society, and realization of a Green Mekong.
It was believed that better understanding, friendship and collaboration among the regional countries would lead to a green environment for each country, region and the world.
The year 2019 was designated as Mekong-Japan Exchange Year. Myanmar would take part in this programme by making a film of the Mekong region, presenting the success stories of Myanmar young entrepreneurs relating to the economy and development of the region, and arts show/contests depicting the beauty of the Mekong region.
The State Counsellor also said that Myanmar really appreciated the role of young entrepreneurs; and as one of the least developed countries in ASEAN, Myanmar needed the role of these young people, as well as their intelligence and creative ideas for the development of the countries. She also remarked that the celebration of the Mekong-Japan Exchange Year 2019 was regarded as the recognition for the capability and intelligence of young entrepreneurs, while the world has recognized that the fourth industrial revolution was taking place at present.
She added that although the benefits of this revolution have been spotlighted, its disadvantages should not be ignored, and that while laying more emphasis on the advantages on the one hand, measures should be taken to remove the disadvantages on the other hand.
The State Counsellor also advised that the capacity and the pivotal role of humans should be taken into account in the era of industrial revolution, especially in human relations for sustainable development of the world.
She remarked that an understanding on the needs of others was a very fundamental theory for the success of a business as the production of inessential items would not help the business to thrive, and that the supply needs to meet the demand for the economic development of the country. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also suggested that the partner countries in the region should fulfill the requirements of each other for the gradual development of the whole region.
She reaffirmed that the Myanmar government was putting emphasis on the youth affairs of the country. However, she recognized some deficiencies in the changing trend although the government had taken priority on the capacity building of young people to be able to keep abreast with their regional counterparts although Myanmar was still behind the rest of the other countries in development.
The State Counsellor assured that Myanmar culture was endowed with valuable philosophies and cultural heritage which should be maintained for the improvement and development of the country.
She also said that the competitions of businesses should be friendly, without aggressive manners while supporting each other.
It was delightful that Japan joined the Mekong region countries. Myanmar was receiving encouragement in working parallel with Japan as a developed country.
She also expressed her appreciation for Japan’s cooperation at the appropriate time for their friendship and goodwill with a view to fostering the development of other countries.
The State Counsellor also said Myanmar should strive for fostering the development strategies in the Mekong region and empowering the novelty in combination with technology and innovation of the youths in the Mekong region. Thus, the programme of presenting “the Work Schemes of the Emerging Entrepreneurs about the economy and development of the Mekong Region” had been included at the tenth anniversary year of Mekong-Japan.
She also said that consideration of the future was dependent upon the present, and the future depended on the ongoing works. Today’s youths were leaders of tomorrow. The emerging countries were aspiring to become developed countries and there was a belief that this could be achieved.
She then urged to make an effective use of grabbing these kinds of opportunities to promote cooperation. There was a need to identify better ways to promote understanding and practical ways cooperation. Progress cannot be obtained from expectation and day-dreaming, but relentless endeavor. It was generally accepted that the progress of Japan after the Second World War was on account of the diligence and industrious of the Japanese people.
She also wished to instill the spirit of learning and sharing obtained from one another like teacher-pupil relationship as well as companionship.
Then the prize-giving ceremony for the youths who won in the international tournament was conducted and the State Counsellor awarded the prize to the MM Tutors Group that won the first prize at the Mekong level and took the third place at the 2019 International Business Model Competitions in the U.S.
Then Union Minister for Home Affairs Let-Gen Kyaw Swe presented the awards to the Yangon Institute of Technology students who stood first at the Robotic Competition 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. Union Minister for Education Dr. Myo Thein Gyi presented prizes to the students of the Mandalay University as they won the second place at the first Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Competition 2018 conducted by the Suranaree University of Technology in Thailand.
The Japanese Ambassador Mr. Ichiro Maruyama presented an award to a student, who grabbed a gold medal at the ASEAN Block Chain technology Competition 2018 in Bali, Indonesia.
Following this, Ma Phu Pwint Eain, a winner from the MM Tutors Group expressed her appreciation on behalf of the winners.
Next, the State Counsellor, union ministers, deputy ministers, ambassadors, Hluttaw committee chairmen, UMFCCI chairman, permanent secretaries, directors-general, deputy directors-general, business personnel, winners and participants posed for commemorative photographs.
The State Counsellor together with attendees at the ceremony looked around the displays, goods and technologies created by the emerging entrepreneurs at the event. The event was attended by the union ministers, deputy ministers, chairmen and members of Hluttaw committees, Japanese Ambassador to Myanmar, ambassadors from the Mekong region countries, embassy staff, heads of the regional representatives, chairman and representatives of UMFCCI and its associates, business personnel doing business in Myanmar from Japan and Mekong region countries, SMEs business personnel from regions, states and invited guests.
The programme of Mekong-Japan Exchange Year 2019 was convened and young entrepreneurs from the Mekong region countries shared their experiences and held a roundtable discussion on “Future of Workplace – Opportunities for the entrepreneurs”.
MNA
(Translated by Aung Khin+Win Ko Ko Aung)
