Him Rotha, Deputy Director of CCRS was invited to speak at the Mekong International Forum 2026 organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam on 23 October 2026 in Hanoi. This year, DAV’s Mekong International Forum was conducted under the theme of “Mekong as a Land-Sea Connectivity Hub: From Corridors to Regional Integration.”
He spoke for two sessions: (1) Session 2: Connecting the Mekong: Opportunities, Gaps and Bottlenecks; and (2) Session 4: Towards a More Connected, Resilient and Integrated Mekong Region.
During Session 2, Rotha made a presentation on Mekong Connectivity Disruption: The Implications of the Cambodia-Thailand Conflict. His core argument was that although the Mekong subregion has enjoyed years of connectivity and integration, the risk of inter-state dispute still persists. This, therefore, requires to have a contingency approach to cope with the interruption of the regional connectivity.
In Session 4, on the other hand, Rotha presented Cambodia and Mekong-Sea Connectivity: National Aspirations and Challenges. In that session, he showcased Cambodia’s infrastructure development plan for the short, medium, and long-term future. Corresponding to the session’s main question, Rotha viewed that socio-economic development in individual states must be welcomed and must be align with sustainable development practices.
Overall, the DAV’s Mekong International Forum was interesting and useful to discuss evolving dynamics in the subregion, and practical ways that riparian states can work together subregionally and beyond to safeguard the health of the Mekong River and its basin along promote connectivity and cooperation in the Mekong subregion. The key takeaway from this dialogue was that to foster the connectivity in the Mekong