ASEAN transport ministers discuss future projects

The two-day 15 th ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting (ATM 15), concluded in Hanoi on Dec. 11, agreed to enhance transport linkage between regional countries thus strengthening the ASEAN community by 2015.
ASEAN members will fund and build an infrastructure to facilitate regional transport connection.
Participants at the meeting also agreed to increase community capacity in international integration.
The results from the conference marked a milestone in creating transport linkage between ASEAN members, Minister of Transport Ho Nghia Dung said at a press briefing after the closing ceremony.
ASEAN and three dialogue countries, including Japan, the Republic of Korea and China reached cooperation agreements.
The eighth ASEAN + China Transport Ministerial Meeting approved a plan to implement the strategic cooperation plan between the two sides and agreed to accelerate the implementation of cooperative projects.
The Transport Ministry of China said the country has pledged 10 billion USD investment in ASEAN infrastructure facilities and a 15 billion USD credit for ASEAN members’ transport sector.
At the seventh ASEAN + Japan meeting, transport ministers passed a joint statement, which consisted of two initiatives on the ASEAN-Japan action plan on environment improvement in the transport sector and guidelines for the ASEAN-Japan transport database.
The 16 th ATM and future meetings between ASEAN transport ministers and partners will take place in Brunei in late 2010.