Mekong Institute (MI) and Thailand’s Creative Economy Agency (CEA) formalized their partnership to support the revitalization of creative industries in northeastern Thailand through the launch of the “Isan Creative Festival” on March 20 to 28, 2021 in Khon Kaen, Thailand.  

“MI is proud to be part of this initiative and join the international community in promoting the UN International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development in 2021,” Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Executive Director said during the signing ceremony that was witnessed by Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee, MI Steering Committee Chairman.

Mr. Suriyan added that working together to pool expertise and networks will help local and national enterprises discover innovative strategies and tap new market opportunities that can strengthen their resiliency, which in turn will contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

As part of the agreement, MI and CEA will work with 18 other partners to launch eight days of festivities that will highlight local entertainment, food, and crafts to help boost the city’s businesses, which were heavily impacted by COVID-19.

“Our focus is to support the local creative economy, and more importantly, create connections with wisdom, cultural, and production sectors who are the engines of our economy,” Mr. Apisit Laistrooglai Creative Economy Agency Executive Director explained.

The memorandum of understanding ceremony between MI and CEA was completed on December 15, 2020 at the MI Headquarters in Khon Kaen, Thailand. This is the fourteenth partnership secured by MI in 2020, as part of its efforts to broaden its reach in supporting the recovery of local and national economies across the spectrum of green freight logistics, SME development, e-commerce, agri-food businesses, and more recently arts and culture.