Participants from the six Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Member States attend the launch of the 2nd Mekong-Lancang Peace Boat Programme in Phnom Penh. (Agence Kampuchea Presse)
On August 5, Cambodia launched the 2nd Mekong-Lancang Peace Boat Programme, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening regional dialogue and advancing practical cooperation for sustainable development across the sub-region.
Organised by the Asian Vision Institute (AVI) with support from the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund, the initiative brings together government officials, policymakers, researchers, scholars and young professionals from Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Chairman of the Commission on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Information of Cambodia’s National Assembly, Suos Yara, said the programme provides an opportunity to deepen regional understanding through dialogue, cultural exchange and cooperation and participants to travel along the Mekong River while taking part in workshops, consultations and field visits focusing on regional cooperation.
Asia Vision Institute President Chheng Kimlong said the Mekong-Lancang region faces increasingly complex transboundary challenges, including climate change, water resource management, environmental degradation, disaster risks and evolving geopolitical dynamics.
The programme will examine regional priorities such as peace and security, small-state diplomacy, water governance, Southeast Asian foreign policy, digital diplomacy, economic integration and disaster response, with participants expected to develop policy recommendations to support regional peace and resilience.
This second edition builds on the inaugural Mekong-Lancang Peace Boat Project, completed in 2023 under the LMC Special Fund 2022. The earlier initiative concluded with the publication of the policy-oriented book “Mekong-Lancang Cooperation: Towards Peace and Prosperity,” which outlined recommendations on water governance, climate resilience, economic cooperation and multilateralism while promoting people-to-people exchanges across the six member countries.
The programme also carries broader political and security significance for mainland Southeast Asia. By strengthening dialogue among policymakers, government officials and researchers, the initiative complements the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework’s efforts to build strategic trust, reduce tensions over transboundary issues such as water governance and promote cooperative approaches to shared security challenges.
While centred on sustainable development, the peace boat also supports regional stability by reinforcing confidence-building, enhancing policy coordination and encouraging peaceful cooperation amid evolving geopolitical dynamics in the Mekong sub-region.
About The Author
