SEOUL-- Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has reaffirmed South Korea's commitment to reinforcing cooperation with the Mekong subregion in climate change, health care, infrastructure and other areas during a regional forum, his office said Friday.

Chung made the commitment during Thursday's virtual "Friends of the Mekong" ministerial meeting, designed to support the development of the subregion that includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken presided over the meeting under the theme of "Recovery and Resilience" in the post-COVID-19 era. The Friends of the Mekong includes the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the European Union, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

"Minister Chung said that South Korea will further develop cooperative ties with the Mekong in environment, climate change, health care, social infrastructure and connectivity areas," the ministry said in a press release.

"He also stressed that as the Mekong subregion faces various challenges in terms of environment, health care and disaster, systematic cooperation among the Friends of the Mekong is of great importance for inclusive, sustainable development in the subregion," it added.

At the session, Chung also said that South Korea will closely cooperate with Mekong countries to help them strengthen their capacities to prevent and manage diseases from a mid- and long-term perspective.

In addition, the minister said that Korea will contribute to the efforts to enhance connectivity in the subregion by joining various projects to build roads, railways, ports and other facilities.

Source: Yonhap News Agency