ADB and NEDA are exploring joint development of corridor towns in Myanmar. Photo: ADB.
BANGKOK, THAILAND (15 October 2017) – The Asian Development Bank and the Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency, a Thai development agency, have signed a partnership arrangement to carry out joint cooperation programs at national and regional levels.
The 4th Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge spanning the Mekong River was opened in 2013. The bridge, along with Route 3 Highway in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is bringing new life to an ancient trade route and the communities who live along the corridor. Photo: Jason Rush/ADB.
A modern highway and bridge connecting three countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion are reviving an ancient trade route and bringing new life to local communities.
The once-isolated Lanten ethnic group in Nam Chang village has long been admired for its high-quality, indigo-dyed cotton clothes. ADB and Fair Trade Laos provided a range of support to develop community-based tourism, including an access road connecting the village to the highway, and training in textile marketing and management. Photo: ADB/Jason Rush.
Completion of the last overland link in the North-South Economic Corridor brings prosperity to poor provinces in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a landlocked country that lies at the heart of the Greater Mekong Subregion.
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.
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