..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 25 November 2005
Press Release No: N/64/2005

Agreement on Trans-Asian railway to be finalized

Bangkok (UN Information Services) -- An intergovernmental meeting will be held from 28 to 30 November 2005 in Bangkok to finalize a draft agreement with the objective of formalizing the Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) Network.

At the meeting, transport officials from across the region will recall the development of the Trans-Asian Railway Network and finalize the Agreement that will guide the spirit of their future cooperation.

Once finalized, the agreement will be presented at the 62nd session of the UNESCAP Commission in 2006 for adoption. A signing ceremony will be held at the Ministerial Conference on Transport later that year.

The TAR network comprises of over 80,000 km of rail routes of international importance linking 27 member countries in the region. The aim of the Network is to offer efficient transport services for the movement of goods within the UNESCAP region and between Asia and Europe as well as provide improved access for landlocked countries to its major ports.

The Intergovernmental Agreement is expected to play a catalytic role in the construction and upgrading of railway lines in Asia. A working group will be established under the terms of the agreement and meet every two years. The Working Group will serve as a forum where policy-makers and railway managers will be able to define a common vision, adopt joint programmes of action, identify investment requirements and sources and benchmark progress.

Formalization of the Trans-Asian railway network constitutes one major step towards the identification of an integrated, international, intermodal transport network for the region. A similar agreement for the Asian highway network came into force on July 4 this year.

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For further information, please contact:
Barry Cable
Director
Transport and Tourism Division
UNESCAP
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1371
Fax: +(66-2) 288-1053
Email: tctidd.unescap@un.org

For media inquiries, please contact:
David Lazarus
Chief
UN Information Services
UNESCAP
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1861/66
Fax: +(6602) 288-1052
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org

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