As stated by Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus:
On Friday, September 11, the United States, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the ASEAN Secretariat launched the Mekong-U.S. Partnership. The Partnership will expand on cooperation begun in 2009 under the Lower Mekong Initiative by strengthening the autonomy, economic independence, and sustainable development of the Mekong partner countries and promoting a transparent, rules-based approach to transboundary challenges.
The United States, represented at the first U.S.-Mekong Partnership Ministerial Meeting by Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, announced more than $150 million in planned additional resources to support COVID-19 recovery ($52 million), to counter transnational crime ($55 million), to develop energy markets under Asia EDGE ($33 million), and to counter trafficking in persons ($2 million). The United States is committed to supporting the resilience and autonomy of countries in the Mekong region and will work with all partners who share our principled, transparent approach.
