Ms. Lada Phumas, the Director of the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs (DVIFA), in capacity of the Director of Thailand’s Global Center for Mekong Studies (GCMS), attended the GCMS Workshop under the theme “Mekong-Lancang Cooperation: Towards an Inclusive, Sustainable and Prosperous Community of Shared Future, during 27-29 October 2019 in Luangprabang, Laos. The Workshop aimed to exchange research findings and knowledge among 6 MLC member countries, namely; Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as to hold consultations in relation to the future direction of the GCMS cooperation and its role in support of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC).   

                    The GCMS Workshop were attended by more than 50 participants and co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Khamsouay Keodalavong, Director of Institute of Foreign Affairs of Laos and H.E. Dr. Ying Rong, Director of GCMS (China). H.E. Mr. Thongphane Savanphet, Deputy Foreign Minister of Laos and H.E. Mr. Vongsavanh Thephachanh, Deputy Governor of Luangprabang were in attendance at the opening ceremony. It was the first time that representatives from international and regional organizations, as well as academia which are of interest in the MLC made substantive presentations on their knowledge and experience at the Workshop.  They included academics from National University of Singapore, Center of Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia and representatives from Mekong River Commission (MRC), Mekong Institute (MI), United Nations Devlopment Programme (UNDP) in Laos, the European Union and the Embassy of Japan and ROK in Laos.

                    Interesting sub-themes for the Workshop were MLC’s contributions to achieving the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, synchronization of MLC with other regional and sub-regional mechanisms and beyond, and recommendations for jointly building the Mekong-Lancang Economic Development (MLEDB). The participants were of view that the Workshop provided an opportunity for exchanges of views in a substantive and multi-dimensional manner, taking into account the readiness and comfortable pace of all GCMS member countries.

                  The GCMS is an academic forum for brainstorming among academics similar to track 1.5 that provides recommendations on policy in support of works in MLC framework. It was established in 2017 as an outcome of the 2^nd MLC Ministerial Meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia.