Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Mekong Institute (MI) Executive Director, together with senior MI officials, welcomed Dr. Ravi Khetarpal, Executive Secretary of the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), to the MI Headquarters in Khon Kaen, Thailand on January 17, 2023.

The two parties discussed possible collaboration between Mekong Institute and APAARI in areas of matching mandates. Topics of discussion included SPS/WTO compliances for trade and potential partnerships in the ongoing SPS/One Health project (STDF/WTO), capacity building programs and how to blend functional and technical capacities, agricultural innovation ecosystem, inclusive digital transformation, joint scoping of global and regional projects, and MI’s partnerships beyond the Mekong region.

MI also shared some institutional compliances in its status as an intergovernmental organization to the host Government.

The lively visit ended with a tour of MI’s Headquarters.