New Delhi (VNA) -  An international webinar on "20 Years ofMekong-Ganga Cooperation" took place in New Delhi, India on November 5-6to review the achievements of the MCG Cooperation in the past two decades and builda strategy to strengthen this initiative in the next 10 years, especially thepost-COVID-19 period.

The event was jointly held by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA)and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS).

The webinarbrought together many prestigious experts, scholars, policy makers,representatives of trade promotion organisations and associations, and businessesfrom India and ASEAN countries. It included six discussions on general topicssuch as international relations and more specific issues like connectivity andtrade.

TheMCG Cooperation was launched in 2000 in Vientiane, Laos during the first MGCministerial meeting, focusing on cooperation in the areas of tourism, culture,education, and transport. carriage. Since its inception, India's trade with thecountries in the Mekong sub-region has increased 25 fold in two decades, from 1billion USD in 2000 to 25 billion USD last year.

Now, their areas of cooperation have been expanded to include health care and traditionalmedicine, agriculture and related industries, irrigation, micro, small andmedium enterprises (MSMEs), and science and technology, skills development andcapacity building.
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According to speakers at the event, the MCG initiative is witnessing adjustmentsand adaptations as well as new factors in the relationship between the twosides. The current dynamics in the region and the rapidly changinginternational environment are bringing in new ideas and various challenges. Therefore,the MCG countries need to actively work together to address pressingtransnational issues.

Secretary (East) of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Ganguly Das saidthe COVID-19 pandemic has rocked the world, causing an unprecedented crisis. Forumslike this webinar can play a big role in making radical decisions andrecommendations to counter the negative effects of the pandemic and build nextsteps.

She also announced that a series of cooperation initiatives between the twosides are now running well, such as the Quick Impact Projects (QIP),scholarships for MGC students at Indian facilities, and establishment of highquality software development and training centres in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Sheaffirmed that the centre in Vietnam will be completed soon.

According to her, infrastructure development and connectivity are keyareas of cooperation between India and the Mekong countries. India has providedcredit packages totaling 580 million USD for the Mekong countries to implementa series of projects in such fields as hydropower, digital connectivity, ruralelectrification, irrigation, electricity transmission networks, andconstruction of educational institutions.

India is making efforts to soon put the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral roadinto operation, and is also considering a Lao proposal to extend this route./.