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..Press
Release................................
UNESCAP News Services
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Date 1
September 2004
Information Note No: I/03/2004
UNESCAP, Infrastructure Development Institute Sign MOU to Develop
Asian Highway
Bangkok (United Nations Information Services) -- UNESCAP
and Japan's Infrastructure Development Institute signed a
Memorandum of Understanding today in Tokyo to promote and
develop the Asian Highway.
The agreement was signed by UNESCAP's Executive Secretary
Mr. Kim Hak-Su and IDI's President, Mr. Eiki Aramaki.
The MoU outlines cooperative activities such as
carrying out joint studies and research, exchange of trainees,
researchers and experts, as well as information.
"The present MOU is being signed in the belief
that strengthening our mutual cooperation will contribute to
the development of transport to the benefit of all countries
in the region and focus attention on the Asian Highway,"
said Mr. Kim at the signing ceremony.
The Asian Highway, a project of UNESCAP's Transport
and Tourism Division, is a 140,000 kilometer network of standardized
roadways crisscrossing the Asian continent and reaching to Europe.
UNESCAP officials estimate that the network is 83 per cent complete,
with an additional $16 billion required to invest in highway
upgrades and signage. Twenty-six countries including Japan signed
the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network
last April in Shanghai, China.
IDI was established in 1956 for the purpose of promoting international
cooperation in infrastructure development.
For further information, please contact:
UN Information Services Bangkok
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1861-67, Fax: +(6602) 28801052
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org
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