Japan and the five Southeast Asian countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion adopted the Tokyo Strategy 2018 at the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting in Tokyo on 9 October.
The Japan-Mekong Connectivity Initiative invests in hard and and soft infrastructure projects in the Greater Mekong Subregion, including human resource development. Photo: ADB.
Foreign ministers from Japan and five Mekong nations this month identified areas of cooperation under a new strategy and reviewed the progress of joint projects in the East-West Economic Corridor and Southern Economic Corridor.
Myanmar is upgrading the railway linking its two largest cities with assistance from the Government of Japan.
Bangkok is still the busiest aviation hub in the subregion, followed by Kunming. Photo: ADB.
The Greater Mekong Subregion is one of the fast-growing markets for air transport services today.
The road project is expected to improve travel between Yangon (in photo), Myanmar’s largest city, and Mae Sot in western Thailand. Photo credit: ADB.
The Myanmar government recently approved a project that will ensure the completion of the Greater Mekong Subregion East-West Economic Corridor, which stretches from Danang, Viet Nam to Yangon, Myanmar.
As Myanmar opens its borders for business, it needs to develop its road network to drive economic growth and take advantage of its strategic location in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
Delivery trucks attempt to squeeze through the narrow road between Eindu in Myanmar and the Thai border. Photo: ADB/Myo Thame.
A new road forming the last remaining segment of the Greater Mekong Subregion’s East-West Economic Corridor is set to bring new energy to fuel the economic transformation of a vibrant corner of Myanmar.
Daw Than Than Win decided to open a restaurant in Taikgyi Township after the 254-kilometer Yangon-Pyi road was improved with ADB financing in the 1980s. She said that the road became a busy thoroughfare since the upgrade, cutting travel time to Yangon city by half. Photo: ADB/Myo Thame.
An old ADB road stands the test of time in Myanmar, while new road upgrades designed to benefit farming communities in the country’s Ayerwaddy Delta are in the planning stage.
In addition to prevention activities, a project to mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS in Myanmar will support treatment and care services, the construction of rural health centers, and enhanced service delivery in hundreds of villages. Photo: ADB/Myo Thame.
Prevention and awareness-raising programs help address increasing HIV/AIDS transmission risks as Myanmar’s borders open and mobility grows with the construction of new roads.
A long stretch of road linking several provinces of Myanmar, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thailand and Viet Nam is home to many impoverished farmers. But things are slowly changing. Thanks to an improved road system, farmers now have an opportunity to distribute their agricultural products over long distances, reaching large, rich markets across the region. Farmers are also adding value to agricultural
Greater Mekong Subregion Secretariat
Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division,
Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
Address: 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 8632 4444 Fax: +63 2 8636 2226