SOURCE: U.S. State Department
Jen Psaki
Spokesperson
Daily Press Briefing
Washington, DC
February 2, 2015
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Scot Marciel will be in Pakse, Laos February 2nd through the 3rd to lead the U.S. delegation to the extraordinary meeting of Friends of the Lower Mekong. The United States and countries of the Lower Mekong region and their other development partners are meeting to discuss economic growth and environmental sustainability of the Mekong region and to address the connections between the water resources, energy needs, and food security. After the conclusion of the meeting tomorrow, Counselor Shannon and Ambassador Thorne will travel to Vietnam to review shared accomplishments and priorities of the bilateral relationship as the United States and Vietnam celebrate the 20th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral relations in 2015.
With that, go ahead.
QUESTION: Sorry. Did you say they were going to be in Pakistan and Laos?
MS. PSAKI: No, it’s the name of the city in Laos they’ll be, Pakse.
QUESTION: Pakse. Oh sorry, okay.
MS. PSAKI: I hope I’m pronouncing it correctly –
QUESTION: Sorry, I misheard.
MS. PSAKI: — but go ahead.
QUESTION: No, no. That’s fine. I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t misheard.
MS. PSAKI: No, Laos.
QUESTION: Because I didn’t think the Mekong ran through Pakistan.
MS. PSAKI: Laos and Vietnam.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2015/02/237049.htm#LAOS
