Ha Noi, Viet Nam – August 26, 2025 – The Mekong Institute (MI) and Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) reaffirmed their strategic partnership to accelerate sustainable agriculture and environmental resilience in Viet Nam and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). The commitment was formalized during a high-level meeting at MAE’s headquarters in Ha Noi, which convened Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, MI’s Executive Director, Dr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, the Director General and Deputy Director General of MAE’s International Cooperation Department (ICD), representatives from the Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture in Viet Nam (PSAV), and the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Environment (ISPAE).
Discussions centered on aligning MI’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan with MAE’s national mandate, with a focus on three key priorities:
- Scaling up climate-smart value chains to strengthen farmer livelihoods while reducing environmental impacts.
- Enhancing public–private partnership (PPP) models to drive innovation and market-led transformation in agriculture.
- Supporting Viet Nam’s flagship initiative of developing one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice, where MI will provide technical expertise and strategic policy support.
The meeting also explored joint contributions to the ADB Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) 5-Year Plan and the GMS-2030 Kunming Strategic Framework for Agrifood System Transformation, positioning Viet Nam as a regional leader in sustainable agrifood system transition. Beyond agriculture, both parties underscored the urgency of addressing transboundary environmental challenges, including urban air pollution and waste management related to solar panels and batteries.
By consolidating efforts, MI and MAE aim to launch collaborative pilot projects, strengthen evidence-based policy research, and expand regional initiatives that advance food security, green growth, and sustainable development across the GMS.
