Myanmar to cooperate with GMS members in freight transportation services

Myanmar has agreed with four other members of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) -- Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam on cooperation in freight transportation services as part of its bid to further the economic cooperation in the subregion.

Under a memorandum of understanding signed among freight forwarders' associations of the five GMS member nations at a forum held at the Pattaya Beach in Thailand last weekend, cooperation will be made on exchange of information and freight transportation services in the subregion, according to Friday's state-run newspaper the New Light of Myanmar.

Sponsored by the Thai commerce ministry, a forum on enhancement of international trade logistics development in GMS was held at the Thai beach.

According to the report, the freight forwarders' associations of members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in GMS region are also having a plan to hold talks with their counterpart of China which is also a member of the six-country GMS- Economic Cooperation.

Meanwhile, in April this year, a joint committee on coordination of commercial navigation of four Upper GMS countries - - China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand met in Tachilek, Myanmar's eastern Shan state, addressing issues of transportation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and petroleum products (PP) as well as matters related to port tax.

Through such oil transportation, Myanmar will be benefited for the role of its border port of Wan Pon in Tachilek, experts said.

The Wan Pon port checkpoint from the Myanmar side was upgraded on Jan. 29 this year along with Ban Muang Mom checkpoint from the Lao side to meet international standard to boost arrivals of world tourists and those from the third countries visiting the two border areas.

Myanmar, a member of the six-country GMS-Economic Cooperation, has worked for closer economic ties together with other members of the grouping by taking part in the implementation of the GMS program.

Initiated by the Asian Development Bank, the GMS-Economic Cooperation was founded in 1992 to bring together China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam along the Mekong River.

Since then, Myanmar has joined in signing several GMS agreements, under which the six participating countries have prioritized some 100 projects in eight sectors including investment, trade, transport, tourism, telecommunications, energy, environment and human resources development.

Aimed at developing the international passenger and cargo transportation, trade and tourism on the Lancang-Mekong River, Myanmar joined three other countries located in the upper reaches of the Mekong River -- China, Laos and Thailand, in signing a commercial navigation agreement in April 2000 in Myanmar's Tachilek.

Under the agreement, which provides for vessels of any signatory country to sail freely between Simao in China and Luangprabang in Laos, Myanmar opened two ports along with three other signatories for the move. The Lancang-Mekong international waterway was officially opened to commercial navigation in June 2001.

Myanmar also joined five other GMS nations in signing an agreement and a protocol in April 2004 in Phnom Penh with regard to cross-border transportation.

The 4,500-km Mekong River originates from China's Qinghai and runs through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam down to South China Sea near Ho Chi Minh city.

The GMS has a combined land area of nearly 2.3 million square- kilometers and home to more than 250 million people.

Source: Xinhua