Addressing the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang proposed strengthening substantive bilateral ties between the United States and each Mekong country to help build a strategic MUSP partnership and enhancing economic connectivity through production linkages, resilient supply chains, and the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets.
Mr. Giang stressed the need to deepen coordination in addressing non-traditional security challenges, particularly cybercrime, online fraud, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.
He urged for placing water resource management at the center of cooperation while promoting the application of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in data collection, analysis, and the modernization of monitoring systems.
Assistant Secretary of State Michael DeSombre reaffirmed that the Mekong sub-region remains an important component of the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy and announced 14 million USD in support for partnership programs in 2026.
Through the MUSP framework, Washington aims to help build a “safer, stronger, and more prosperous” Mekong sub-region in the years ahead.
