|
..Press
Release................................
UNESCAP News Services
|
Date 21
June 2005
Press Release No: N/29/2009
Ministers of the Greater Mekong Subregion to
Address East-West Economic Corridor Conference
BANGKOK (United Nations Information Services)
– The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), in collaboration with the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)
Business Forum, is organizing the “East-West Economic
Corridor Conference: Investment Opportunities” at the
United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok, Thailand on 23-24
June 2005.
The conference will discuss, on an in-depth basis,
ways and means of maximizing the investment and trade opportunities
which the EWEC will offer the exporters, importers, logistics
companies, freight forwarders, shippers, transport operators,
insurance underwriters and political risk insurers in both the
GMS and the neighbouring countries.
The rapid pace of infrastructure development in
the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) can be expected to catalyze
increases in the mobility of goods, people and capital among
the six countries that make up the GMS, namely Cambodia, Lao
People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet
Nam and Yunnan Province of China.
The East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) will be
the first major sea-land-sea link connecting the China Sea via
Viet Nam, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thailand,
and Myanmar with the Bay of Bengal. Like other similar infrastructure
upgrades throughout the world, it is expected the EWEC will
stimulate trade flows and attract foreign direct investment
in the region.
The conference will particularly focus on the
mechanics of the EWEC: shipment risk underwriting, possible
use of through-passage carnets to streamline border crossing
procedures, funding wear and tear maintenance through asset
backed security toll user revenue bonds, homeland security compliance,
global value chain (supply and sub-supply) linkages.
The keynote address will be delivered by H.E.
Mr. Suranand Vejjajiva, Minister of the Prime Minister’s
Office of Thailand. The various topics will be presented by
speakers with internationally recognized expertise on these
technical subjects. Speakers will include GMS Ministers and
senior officials and commercial and international organizations,
such as Baker & McKenzie; Deutsche Bank; International Road
Transport Union (IRU); Japan Bank for International Cooperation
(JBIC); Japan Shippers’ Council; Kroll International;
Macquarie Bank; US Department of Homeland Security; World Customs
Organization (WCO); and the chambers of commerce and industry
of all the GMS countries.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Ravi Ratnayake
Director, Trade and Investment Division
UNESCAP, UN Building
Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66-2-288-1956; Fax: +66-2-288-1026
Email: ratnayaker@un.org.
* *** *
