Dali, China, 15 December 2017
1. The Third Lancang-Mekong Cooperation(LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, China on 15 December 2017. H.E. Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Saleumxay Kommasith, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, H.E. U Kyaw Tin, Union Minister for International Cooperation of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, H.E. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, and H.E. Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam attended the meeting. The Chinese and Cambodian Foreign Ministers co-chaired the Meeting.
2. The Ministers had an in-depth exchange of views and reached broad consensus on implementing the outcomes of the First LMC Leaders' Meeting and the Second LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting, future direction of LMC and preparations for the Second LMC Leaders' Meeting.
3. The Ministers highly appreciated the successful convening of the First LMC Leaders' Meeting in Sanya, China in March 2016. Leaders from the six countries jointly announced the launching of LMC, a new type of sub-regional cooperation mechanism, identified building a community of shared future among Lancang-Mekong countries as the common objective, and established a 3+5 (3 pillars and 5 priority areas) cooperation framework, charting the course for LMC development.
4. The Ministers noted with satisfaction that LMC, in just over a year's time, has produced fruitful results and displayed vigor and vitality, which indicated the strong commitment of the six countries for further cooperation. The Meeting circulated the Matrix of Follow-ups to the Outcomes of the First LMC Leaders' Meeting and the Second Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The Ministers were pleased with the implementation of the outcomes.
5. The Ministers noted with pleasure that most of the 45 Early Harvest Projects identified at the First LMC Leaders' Meeting and the 13 Initiatives put forward by China at the Second LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting have been completed or made substantive progress. The Ministers hoped that all Early Harvest Projects and Initiatives could be completed in a timely manner.
6. The Ministers congratulated on the establishment of LMC National Secretariats/ Coordination Units in the six countries ahead of the schedule set at the Second Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The Ministers congratulated on the setup and operation of all the six Joint Working Groups on the key priority areas of connectivity, production capacity, cross-border economic cooperation, water resources, agriculture and poverty reduction, and on the setup of the Water Resources Cooperation Center, Lancang-Mekong Environmental Cooperation Center and the Global Mekong River Studies Center. The Ministers appreciated the major efforts made in the above-mentioned areas by relevant departments/authorities of the six countries, and hoped that these mechanisms and institutions would play an active role in deepening pragmatic cooperation. The Ministers agreed to build ties among the six LMC National Secretariats/Coordination Units, enhance the cooperation between the LMC National Secretariats/Coordination Units and the Joint Working Groups on the key priority areas to further advance the LMC.
7. The Ministers noted with satisfaction that the application and approval of the first batch of projects of the LMC Special Fund have been completed, and believed that it will facilitate the orderly implementation of these projects. Other funding pledges China has made is being honored with steady progress, which played a positive role in promoting the social-economic development of the region.
8. The Ministers agreed in principle on the Five-Year Plan of Action of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (2018-2022) and will submit it to the Second Leaders' Meeting for approval. They believed that the Plan of Action would serve as an LMC guiding document for the next five years and take LMC to a new level. The Ministers reviewed the List of the Second Batch of Projects and the Reports of the six Joint Working Groups on the key priority areas, announced the List of the First Batch of Projects of LMC Special Fund, and established the Hotline Platform of LMC National Secretariats/Coordination Units.
9. The Ministers agreed that LMC has evolved from its nurturing period into the growing period. All member countries, by following the "bulldozer/moving forward steadily and firmly" spirit, need to make greater efforts towards the shared vision outlined in the Sanya Declaration and play a bigger role in advancing economic and social development of all the six member countries, enhancing the well-being of the people, narrowing the development gap and supporting ASEAN Community building. Efforts should be made to cultivate a Lancang-Mekong culture featuring equal treatment, sincerity and family-like atmosphere so as to turn LMC into an exemplary mechanism for South-South Cooperation and for implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
10.The Ministers looked forward to strengthening and expanding cooperation under LMC on the basis of deepening 3+5 cooperation framework and exploring new cooperation areas under this framework. The Ministers agreed to synergize LMC with the development strategies of each member country, the Belt and Road initiative and relevant development programs of ASEAN. The Ministers agreed to enhance publicity of LMC and raise the public awareness of LMC in the six countries.
11.The Ministers reaffirmed that the LMC will be conducted in the spirit of openness and inclusiveness, and will seek mutual reinforcement and coordinated development with other existing sub-regional mechanisms so as to contribute to the development and prosperity of this sub-region.
12.The Ministers expressed their readiness to work together for the complete success and positive outcomes of the upcoming Second LMC Leaders' Meeting in Cambodia in January 2018.
13.The Ministers visited the Photo Exhibition of the LMC Achievements, attended the Launch of the official website of LMC China Secretariat. The Background Paper on Lancang-Mekong Sub-Region Economies conducted by ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) was presented to the Ministers. The Chinese and Cambodian Foreign Ministers jointly conducted a press briefing after the Meeting.
14. The Ministers of the Mekong countries congratulated on the successful convening of the Nineteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and thanked China as the host country for the hospitality extended to all delegations and the thoughtful arrangements made for this meeting.