On 16 August 2024, Mrs. Eksiri Pintaruchi, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand was entrusted to co-chair the Ninth Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with H.E. Mr. Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. The Meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam.

The Meeting was held under the theme ‘Towards the Shared Future of a Safer and Sustainable Mekong-Lancang Region’, emphasizing the dual imperatives of promoting sustainable development and addressing pressing challenges affecting the safety and well-being of people, with focus on combating transboundary air pollution (PM 2.5) and transboudary crimes, in particular illicit drug trafficking, cybercrimes and telecommunication frauds, as proposed by Thailand. In addition, the Meeting discussed cooperation in other areas of priority including connectivity, water resources and biodiversity, food and energy security, scientific and technological innovation, promotion of tourism and people-to-people exchanges as well as enhanced engagement of private sectors.

The Meeting adopted four key outcome documents laying foundation for further cooperation in the respective areas, namely (1) Joint Press Communiqué of the Ninth Mekong-Lancang Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, (2) Initiative on Deepening Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation, (3) Joint Statement on the Mekong-Lancang Clean Air Initiative and (4) Joint Statement on Strengthening Cooperation in Combating Transboundary Crimes under the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Framework. Thailand also expressed its readiness to host the 5^th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Leaders' Meeting in 2025.

Initiated by Thailand in 2012 with the support of China, the MLC framework was officially established in 2016 with an aim to promote connectivity and sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region, as well as narrow development gap among countries. It is the first water resources cooperation framework with participation of all countries in the Mekong sub-region. The MLC Framework has evolved around 3 pillars; (1) Political and Security, (2) Economic and Sustainable Development, and (3) Social, Cultural, and People-to-People Exchange, focusing on 5 priority areas; (1) Connectivity, (2) Production Capacity, (3) Cross-Border Economic Cooperation, (4) Water Resource Management, and (5) Agriculture and Poverty Reduction. The MLC framework has been advancing cooperation through the implementation of more than 800 projects supported by China through the Mekong-Lancang Special Fund (MLCSF), with 93 of these projects initiated and implemented by Thailand. Currently, Thailand is serving as co-chair of the MLC framework with China for the term 2024-2025.

After the meeting, the Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China held a joint press conference, where more than 50 media persons, both Thai and foreign media in Thailand, attended.