Ha Noi, Vietnam (FN), Sept. 13 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the countries in the Mekong region - Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar - have the potential to become major rice stock and rice exporters in Asia.

The premier highly encouraged these countries to form Association of the Rice Exporting Countries (AREC), speaking at the plenary summit on the new vision for the Mekong region, hosted by the World Economic Forum in Ha Noi, Vietnam, on 12 September 2018.

Prime Minister recalled 15 years ago his initiative for AREC during ACMECS Summit, sadly, the initiative has not yet realized.

The premier said that if AREC is successfully established, it will greatly contribute to promoting agricultural development to become a gigantic rice stock in Asia.

He added that Mekong countries are not only agricultural competitors, but also supporters.
=FRESH NEWS