(VientianeTimes) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Thongloun Sisoulith has urged Mekong region countries and the United States to speed up implementation of various agreements approved by the two parties in recent years.

Dr Thongloun was speaking on October 30 at an informal working breakfast in Hanoi, Vietnam, held on the sidelines of the 17th Asean Summit.

The working breakfast was co-chaired by United States' Secretary of State Mrs Hillary Clinton and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Mr Phan Gia Khiem and attended by foreign ministers of Mekong region nations.

Dr Thongloun expressed appreciation for various cooperation projects between Mekong region countries and the United States over the past year, particularly training and study tours in the US by officials from the health, agriculture and forestry and environmental sectors.

The projects included surveys on the fluctuating level of the Mekong River and funding by the US to support the education of students from Mekong region countries in the US in both short-term and long-term programmes.

Dr Thongloun urged the US to help with rural infrastructure development for poverty reduction. He also called on the US to provide funding, technical expertise and the transfer of technology for Mekong region countries to deal with the impacts of climate change and natural disasters.

The ministerial level meetings between the Mekong region countries and the US are held annually and the next meeting is scheduled for 2011.

The Mekong region countries comprise Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.