THE LOWER MEKONG INITIATIVE 2020 AND A MEKONG INSTITUTE IN LAOS PDR

NGÔ THẾ VINH
To the Friends of the Mekong & VN 2020 Mekong Group

As part of our Asia Pacific Security Engagement Initiative, we are launching LMI 2020. As the name implies, it is a multiyear vision for how the United States can help each of our partners together as well as individually to build a more prosperous region through each of the LMI pillars. Hillary Clinton

We think the Lower Mekong Initiative 2020 has great potential, but it can only be successful if we have the full participation of all the partners, because we need your ideas and we need your very constructive and candid dialogue with us. Hillary Clinton
*   This article is written after the last one titled “The Mekong Basin: A Challenging Neighborhood for the U.S.” appeared about four months ago on 04/11/2012. Recently, on July 13, 2012, the American Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced an expanded program of action name "Lower Mekong Initiative 2020" and Myanmar has become the new member and the fifth country to join the LMI 2020. This new development marks a long range commitment of the U.S. to the development of the Lower Mekong. [3]