On 2 February 2024, H.E. Mrs. Phantipha Iamsudha Ekarohit, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Executive Director of the Mekong Institute (MI) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, on behalf of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Member Countries, and the Mekong Institute on the support to the ACMECS Interim Secretariat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The MOU is testament to the determination of ACMECS Member Countries and the Mekong Institute to promote cooperation in the Mekong sub-region and steer forward the ACMECS Interim Secretariat. The event was attended by Mr. Narongchai Akrasanee, Chairman of the Mekong Institute Steering Committee, representatives from relevant departments of the Ministry and representatives from the Embassies of ACMECS Member Countries and ACMECS Development Partners in Thailand.

Deputy Permanent Secretary Phantipha delivered a remarks congratulating on the signing of the MOU and commended on the timely moment of its signing on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of ACMECS in 2023. The Deputy Permanent Secretary also viewed that the MOU will help to reinvigorate ACMECS in addressing present and future challenges while maintaining its core identity as the only sub-regional framework collectively led by the five Mekong countries. Moreover, the MOU will support the enhancement of ACMECS’ role as a ‘connector’ in synergising cooperation among multiple sub-regional frameworks in narrowing the development gap in the sub-region and in supporting ASEAN integration.

The signing of the MoU is a result of the outcome of the ACMECS Senior Officials’ Meeting on 25 August 2022, which endorsed Thailand’s proposal to establish the ACMECS Interim Secretariat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand in Bangkok and operate under four core functions: (1) policy, planning and coordination (2) conferencing services (3) project management and (4) communication strategy. The MI will support the implementation of these core functions as a back office of the ACMECS Interim Secretariat.

The ACMECS is a Mekong sub-regional cooperation framework initiated by Thailand in 2003 to enhance competitiveness, economic growth and job opportunities as well as reduce economic development gaps among five Member Countries, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam. ACMECS also promotes constructive engagement with six development partners, namely, Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States.