Mekong forum focused on sharing responsibility for common prosperity: expert
The Mekong Forum 2016 served to foster dialogue among partners and agencies of Greater Mekong Subregion countries to pursuing their development targets, an expert said on August 29. “These include reducing poverty and inequality, generating inclusive growth, improving capacity development, and exceeding the sustainable development goals in the GMS,” said Dr. Watcharas Leelawath, executive director of Mekong Institute at the Mekong Forum. Mekong Forum 2016 was hosted by MI on August 29 at Pullman Hotel Khon Kaen, northeast of Thailand. The theme of this year’s Mekong Forum is “Sharing Responsibility for Common Prosperity.” The Forum brought together more than 200 participants, including Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee, former Energy Minister of Thailand, James Bolger, the 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Li Hong, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, as well as development practitioners, senior policy makers, business and civic leaders and academics from six GMS countries.