Mr. Keichi Ono, Director of First Southeast Asia Division, Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, led a delegation from the said Ministry on a visit to the Mekong Institute (MI) on 2 February 2010. 

The delegation was on a fact-finding mission along the East West Economic Corridor (EWEC) as a follow up on the action plan set out in the first Mekong-Japan Summit in November 2009. The visitors sought to be familiar with the role of MI in GMS development and cooperation. 

Dr. Suchat Katima, MI Director, and the MI senior staff briefed the visitors on the history and the programs of MI and presented ideas on building up trade facilitation-related capacities of the private sector along the EWEC. 

Impressed with MIs programs, the delegates indicated interest to further the dialogue for collaboration especially on trade facilitation in the EWEC.