Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, July 18, 2025 –– On the sidelines of the regional workshop on “Managing the Water-Food-Energy Nexus for Sustainable Development in the Greater Mekong Subregion,” the Mekong Institute (MI) and the CAREC Institute (CI) convened a bilateral meeting to chart out concrete next steps for collaboration under their existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed on November 14, 2024.
The meeting reaffirmed both institutions’ commitment to advancing inter-regional cooperation through joint research, capacity development, and cross-learning exchanges. Building on their respective strengths in knowledge generation and policy engagement, MI and CI agreed to co-develop proposals and initiatives that respond to shared priorities in the evolving sustainable development landscape of Asia.
Key areas of collaboration discussed include: aligning programming with global and regional frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), enhancing institutional synergies in strategic planning and resource mobilization, and fostering more systematic engagement through joint events, publications, and technical studies.
The dialogue also underscored the strategic value of bridging the Central Asia and Greater Mekong Subregion knowledge ecosystems. Both parties acknowledged that stronger cross-regional learning partnerships could contribute to more adaptive and resilient development solutions, particularly in addressing common challenges such as climate change, water security, and sustainable infrastructure development.
To signal their shared commitment, the Director of CI confirmed his participation in the upcoming Mekong Forum 2025, MI’s annual flagship event, to be held on July 30–31 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In reciprocity, MI’s Executive Director has been invited to attend the 9th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum, scheduled for December 2025 in Urumqi, China.
The bilateral discussion concluded with an agreement to jointly identify and develop a shortlist of collaborative initiatives over the coming months—laying the foundation for a sustained and results-oriented partnership that leverages regional expertise for broader development impact across Asia.
