PHNOM PENH: On the margins of the East Asia Summit Senior Officials’ Meetings, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (DAS) for Multilateral Affairs Dr. Jung H. Pak met with key Cambodian partners of the Mekong-U.S. Partnership (MUSP), underscoring the United States’ longstanding support for the people of the Mekong sub-region.
“The Mekong countries can count on the United States as a strong and reliable partner now and well in the future,” said DAS Dr. Pak. “My visit to Cambodia shows the importance of working with Mekong countries bilaterally and through the MUSP to promote connectivity, transparency, and sustainable development across borders.”
In support of these initiatives while in Cambodia, DAS Dr. Pak visited the Regional Flood and Drought Management Center at the Mekong River Commission (MRC) where she lauded the MRC’s region-wide approach to tackle transboundary water issues and emphasized U.S. commitment to strengthen the MRC’s capacity through training and technical assistance. DAS Dr. Pak also learned about Mekong-related issues including migration, trafficking, natural resource management, business, and renewable energy, and shared U.S. priorities in the Mekong sub-region from various regional experts based in Phnom Penh.
In discussion with young Cambodians at the AmCam Exchange, U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh’s EducationUSA space at Exchange Square Mall, DAS Dr. Pak encouraged young leaders to work together to solve challenges impacting the entire sub-region to achieve better results.
The MUSP promotes the stability, peace, and prosperity of the Mekong sub-region through cooperation among the Mekong partner countries and the United States. It reinforces the strong and longstanding relationship among the United States, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
From the fiscal year 2009 to 2022, the U.S. government has provided over $5.8 billion in bilateral and regional assistance to the five Mekong partner countries.
Photo by: U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh, Cambodia
