GMS focuses on transportation service development

Kunming (CNS) -- The continued development of the Greater Mekong Subregion(GMS) was the focus of discussion on March 26 and 27 at the Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation Conference sponsored by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Representatives expressed their opinions on various issues including transportation and the establishment of a GMS Business Forum.

Transportation will continue to be the most important cooperation project, said Juan Miranda, director general of the ADB's Central and West Asia Department. Miranda said he also hoped to eliminate existing barriers and accelerate cross-border logistics.

Li Shusen, an official from China's Ministry of Commerce, suggested that the scope of transportation in the GMS should be expanded to cover not only highways, but also railways and other modes.

The representatives further proposed a GMS Business Forum to facilitate multi-layer discussions within the region and provide more opportunities for the private sector.

The GMS is a development project formed by the ADB in 1992 that brought together the six countries and regions of the Mekong River basin, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Yunnan Province of China. The area covers 2.6 million square kilometers and has a combined population of about 326 million.