Japan pledges US$6.1 billion for Mekong development

The aid was announced at the 7^th Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo between leaders of Japan and the Mekong nations namely Viet Nam, Lao, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.

The leaders also adopted the Tokyo Strategy 2015 for Mekong-Japan Cooperation to boost quality growth and enhance connectivity in the region by focusing on four cooperation areas, including industrial infrastructure development, regional value chain, and sustainable development.

With the goal of ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in the region, the leaders reaffirmed their determination to strengthen and deepen cooperation between member states on regional and global issues of shared concern.

In the Strategy, they underlined the importance of the ocean as a common asset of the world and closer cooperation to ensure security and safety of navigation in the region.

The leaders said recent developments in the East Sea further complicated the situation, eroded trust and confidence and may undermine regional peace, security, and stability.

Speaking at the Summit, PM Nguyen Tan Dung stressed that sovereignty and territorial disputes in the East Sea are becoming more complicated following activities regarding large-scale construction and land reclamation. Such activities have changed the basic structure and status quote of numerous natural islands, reefs and rocks, violated international law, sapped trust and increased tensions in the region.

PM Dung said that maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation in the East Sea is the common aspiration, the interest and responsibility of all countries in the region ad beyond.

Relevant parties should adhere to the principle of self-restraint without complicating the situation, changing the status quo, using or threatening to use of force. Disputes must be settled peacefully on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea he added./.