Phnom Penh: Prime Minister Hun Sen has chaired the 7th Greater Mekong Summit. Under the theme "Renewed Strength to Face the Challenges of the New Decade", the Prime Minister reaffirmed the region’s commitment to addressing new challenges, ensuring centrality in regional connectivity and propelling countries towards sustainable and inclusive development.

After the first Greater Mekong Summit in 2002 held in Phnom Penh, the Prime Minister said he felt honoured as he once again chaired its now-seventh edition. The summit was attended by his counterparts from China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, as well as the Asian Development Bank.

Prime Minister Hun Sen stressed the environmental challenges that the region is facing while battling the pandemic:

“It is true that in the current context of uncertainty caused by the public health crisis, as well as other regional and global challenges, the Seventh GMS Summit has now decided on the theme “The GMS strengthens to meet the challenges of the new decade in order to reflect our strong joint commitment to jointly pave the way for new challenges to ensure continued success. The Greater Mekong Subregion will remain at the heart of regional connectivity and help member countries achieve their goals of sustainable and inclusive development.”

He says there is a need to accelerate the implementation of the region’s cooperation program and promote multilateral mechanisms to ensure a strong social and economic recovery once the pandemic is over.

The pandemic has certainly hampered development in the region, but the Prime Minister has urged Mekong leaders to fast-track the turning of the crisis into an opportunity for the development of the Mekong region as a whole. He also thanked China once again for its help in the country’s fight against Covid-19, most especially in the provision of vaccines, which will see Cambodia starting its new normal way before many other countries around the world.