In order to promote further exchanges between Japan and Mekong Region Countries (Kingdom of Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Union of Myanmar, Kingdom of Thailand, and Socialist Republic of Viet Nam), it was decided at the Japan-Mekong Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in January 2008 to celebrate the year 2009 as "Mekong-Japan Exchange Year."
Japan consistently places great importance on the Mekong Region and continues to play an active role in order to strengthen the relationship between Japan and the Mekong Region Countries. Reaffirming our commitment to the "Region of Hope and Development," we continue to promote cooperation between Japan and the Mekong Region Countries as well as in the international arena such as the reformation of the United Nations under the keywords of "trust" "development" and "stability." With this in mind, Japan continues to put efforts in development that organically links ODA with promotion of trade and investment as well as activities linking the public and private sector such as promotion of tourism.
In 2007, Japan announced the Japan-Mekong Region Partnership Program [PDF]
, a program that includes initiatives such as the expansion of ODA to the Mekong Region for the next three years. As 2009 will be the final year of the Program, we will review the progress and hammer out future policies. As 2009 is also the final year of the "Decade of Greater Mekong Subregion Development Cooperation, 2000-2009" declared by UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) it is expected that the international community will again focus the Mekong Region.
In this important time, it is extremely meaningful for the future cooperation with the Mekong Region, to promote exchanges in various fields between Japan and the Mekong Region Countries in collaboration with both the public and private sector.
Development in the Mekong Region, a late starter within ASEAN, will be of direct benefit to ASEAN as a whole by redressing intra-ASEAN disparities, and in turn will benefit Japan itself, given its strong ties with ASEAN in the political, economic and cultural spheres.
In 2009, designated as the "Mekong-Japan Exchange Year," events to be held will include political dialogues, economic events, cultural exchanges, promotion of tourism, youth exchanges, etc.
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