Revitalizing the Mekong-US Partnership

On June 2nd, in Jakarta, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang and US Assistant Secretary of State Michael DeSombre co-chaired the 2026 Mekong-US Partnership Senior Officials Meeting (MUSP) – the first event in Vietnam's role as co-chair of the MUSP mechanism. Representatives from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand attended the meeting.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang and US Assistant Secretary of State Michael DeSombre co-chaired the Mekong-US Partnership Senior Officials Meeting. (Photo: Bao Chi)

The conference took place in an open and positive atmosphere, demonstrating the commitment of the Mekong countries and the United States to jointly promote a more vibrant, effective, and substantive MUSP partnership, with members acting together and benefiting together. In this spirit, the conference discussed plans for cooperation implementation in 2026 and the development of a MUSP Action Plan for the period 2027-2029. The countries emphasized the continuation of key cooperation areas such as water resources, environment, energy and food security, and human resources. At the same time, members agreed on the urgent need to expand MUSP cooperation into new areas such as supply chains, the digital economy , artificial intelligence, essential minerals, and combating online fraud and cybercrime. These are areas that meet the development requirements and common interests of both sides.

To promote more effective and action-oriented MUSP, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang proposed four priorities for future cooperation. First, strengthening substantive bilateral relations between the United States and each Mekong country, contributing to building a strategic MUSP partnership, overcoming differences, and building trust. Second, promoting economic connectivity through production linkages, resilient supply chains, and LNG market development. Third, coordinating responses to non-traditional security challenges, especially cybercrime, online fraud, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. Fourth, water resource management remains a focus of cooperation, but it is necessary to promote the application of new technologies, AI in data collection and analysis, and modernize monitoring systems. Deputy Minister Dang Hoang Giang emphasized that for MUSP cooperation to deepen, high-level policy dialogue must be linked to specific projects; transforming strategic vision into measurable results; U.S. support goes hand in hand with the proactive role of Mekong countries in proposing, designing, and implementing cooperation. With this orientation, MUSP cooperation will continue to support an independent, self-reliant, and prosperous Mekong sub-region and contribute to shaping an open, inclusive regional architecture centered on ASEAN. Vietnam's proposals received positive responses from the members.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang proposed four priorities for future Mekong-US cooperation. (Photo: Bao Chi)

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Michael DeSombre reaffirmed the Mekong as a vital component of the Indo-Pacific policy, announcing $14 million in support for cooperation programs in 2026. In the coming period, through the MUSP Partnership, the U.S. aims to support a "safer, stronger, and more prosperous" Mekong subregion. The cooperation programs will be designed with a focus on complementary areas such as food security, energy security, and strategic minerals, linked to the sustainable management and use of water resources.

The conference agreed to promptly review the implementation of the Action Plan for the 2024-2026 period and develop the Action Plan for 2027-2029 so that it can be implemented starting in early 2027. Members also continued to consider resuming the MUSP Ministerial Meeting, aiming to create new momentum for the Mekong-US Partnership.

* Also on this occasion, Deputy Minister Dang Hoang Giang held a bilateral meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State Michael DeSombre, discussing trade negotiations, intellectual property, and several potential areas of cooperation in strategic mineral resources, aviation, and space. The Deputy Minister affirmed that the Vietnamese Government always creates favorable conditions for US businesses to invest and operate in Vietnam. Both sides agreed to continue to coordinate closely within sub-regional, regional, and global mechanisms.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/lam-song-dong-quan-he-doi-tac-mekong-hoa-ky-401105.html