Second Mekong-U.S. Partnership Ministerial Meeting Underscores U.S. Commitment to the Subregion

The second Mekong-U.S. Partnership Ministerial Meeting held on 2 August 2021 unveiled four flagship projects under the Mekong-U.S. Partnership, and noted the 8.5 million vaccine doses and over $58 million in U.S. COVID-19 assistance to the Mekong subregion countries. The meeting discussed (i) progress on improving COVID-19 response and health security; (ii) delivering sustainable infrastructure development, including through the Japan-U.S.-Mekong Power Partnership; (iii) empowering human capital and building the foundations for a Mekong digital economy; (iv) promoting women’s economic empowerment; (v) protecting the environment and sustainably managing water and other natural resources; and (vi) combating non-traditional security threats, including trafficking in persons, wildlife, timber, narcotics, and weapons. The meeting also noted $4.3 billion in foreign assistance to the Mekong subregion of the U.S. government since 2009, which underscores U.S. commitment to the subregion.