Tuesday December 16, 2025
The Laotian Times —
Imagine the Mighty Mekong Basin not as a source of friction among riparian countries but as a platform of joint management and development across ASEAN. To make this happen, a new deal is needed that involves multiple countries across different sectors.
Anoulak Kittikhoun, a Lao former CEO of the Mekong River Commission, argues that treating the Mekong as an interconnected system, rather than a patchwork of national interests, could help ASEAN transform the river into a model of regional cooperation, sustainability, and shared prosperity. The commentary was published through Fulcrum, a platform of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, on 11 December.