NAY PYI TAW, MYANMAR (8 September 2015) – Ministers and senior officials from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will gather this week for the 20th GMS Ministerial Conference to explore ways to boost infrastructure investment and development.

“The 20th Ministerial Conference is particularly noteworthy because it takes place on the eve of an emerging global commitment to advance the sustainable development agenda in both developed and developing countries,” said ADB Vice-President Stephen Groff, who will attend the conference. 

The theme of this year’s Ministerial Conference is: “Taking Action for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in the GMS.” The gathering opens on 9 September with a Senior Officials’ Meeting and a Development Partners’ Meeting.

The formal Ministerial Meeting takes place the next day, to be followed by a closed-door Ministerial Retreat in the afternoon. Senior national and provincial government officials, and development partners from the six GMS countries, are also expected to attend. Discussions will focus on issues, challenges and opportunities in the context of the GMS cooperation program and key regional and global sustainability goals.

The GMS includes the six countries sharing the Mekong River: Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region.  In 2014, ADB assistance totaled $22.9 billion, including cofinancing of $9.2 billion.