Developing transport infrastructure in tandem with policies and procedures for crossing borders and promoting trade has been central to efforts to interconnect the Greater Mekong Subregion countries.
The Subregional Transport Forum reviews, coordinates and monitors regional transport plans and projects of GMS member countries.
Transport lies at the heart of Greater Mekong Subregion cooperation. The development of physical infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, in tandem with policies and procedures for crossing borders and developing trade along key routes, has been central to efforts to forge a truly interconnected subregion.
Physically connecting the countries of the subregion was one of the first initiatives of the GMS program when it was founded in 1992. The countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion have acknowledged that in order to cooperate in trade, tourism, and investment, and to realize the other benefits of the region, they must expand the road links and border crossings that connect them.
This is being done through the development of “economic corridors,” which are geographic areas, often along major highways, where a variety of development projects are undertaken to maximize their development benefits. This might include projects involving infrastructure, laws and regulations, market development, and the improvement of urban centers. Economic corridors bring a wide range of benefits, far beyond what single projects deliver in terms of development impact.
The three main GMS corridors—the East–West, North–South and Southern economic corridors—have improved the lives of millions of people in the Greater Mekong Subregion. These corridors are being enhanced with secondary roads that extend their benefits to nearby communities most in need, and other roads that link to strategic seaports in the subregion. The regulatory details of how people and goods can best move along these corridors are also currently being worked out.
Related
• GMS Transport Sector Strategy 2030
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MANILA, PHILIPPINES (10 December 2014)– The Asian Development Bank has approved a loan of $200 million to improve villagers’ access to regional roads in Yunnan Province, the People’s Republic of China, in a project that will alleviate poverty and promote regional trade.
The Eighteenth Meeting of the Subregional Transport Forum (STF-18) was held in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. The Forum was jointly organized by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) of Viet Nam and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The Nineteenth Meeting of the Subregional Transport Forum (STF-19) was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Over 500 kilometers of roads in six provinces in Western Cambodia are being rebuilt and repaired under a flood damage emergency reconstruction project. The region is crucial to the country's agrarian-based economy.
This assessment indicates a mixed performance for the Transport Sector Strategy Study, 2006-2015 based on an assessment of the overarching goals upon which the study was based.
In Cambodia's Kampot province, local businesses thrive with the development of the Greater Mekong Subregion's Southern Coastal Corridor.
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.
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.
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.
HA NOI, VIET NAM (25 November 2014) – The Asian Development Bank and the Government of Viet Nam today signed a $50 million loan agreement to upgrade Viet Nam’s tourism infrastructure, boost tourist spending, and create more jobs in the industry for poor and ethnic minority communities.
