India to host sixth Mekong-Ganga Cooperation meeting

Seeking to reinvigorate ties with Southeast Asia, India will host the sixth ministerial meeting of the six-nation Mekong-Ganga Cooperation initiative with a view to boost cultural and tourism exchanges.

The Tuesday meeting, the first to be hosted by India, will see participation of Foreign Ministers of five Mekong region countries -- Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will lead the ministerial deliberations that will focus on speeding up connectivity and explore ways to boost economic, cultural and tourism exchanges.
   
    News Now    
-     Scuffle between Farooq's security personnel and IPS officer
-     Coalgate: CBI dispatches teams to Chhattisgarh, J'khand
-     Policeman killed by colleague
-     Man lynched
     
    Also Read
     
    Related Stories    
   
    News Now    

-     Markets dip led by rate sensitives
-     Manmohan Singh must resign: Sushma Swaraj
-     Coalgate: CBI sends teams to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand
-     Iran says oil exports unaffected by sanctions
-     Cancellation of coal blocks after IMG report: Jaiswal
More
Krishna together with the visiting MGC Ministers would review cooperation among the MGC countries, and expected to set out the future direction of this important mechanism for enhanced cooperation in the region.

The Mekong-Ganga meeting comes ahead of the ASEAN-India commemorative summit in New Delhi in December to mark the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership and the 10th anniversary of ASEAN-India Summit-level partnership.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister HOR Namhong, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Myanmarese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs U Maung Myint, Thailand Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Jullapong Nonscrichai and Vietnam Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh will participate in the meeting.

The grouping was formed in 2000 to leverage cultural and civilisational affinities among the riparian states of the Ganga and Mekong rivers.

Sourced: business-standard