Jakarta (VNA) – Officials of the ASEAN countriesdiscussed ways to enhance infrastructure connectivity and development in theregion at meetings held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 14 and 15.

Ambassador Nguyen Hoanh Nam, head of the Vietnampermanent mission to ASEAN, led the Vietnamese delegation to the meeting of theASEAN Connectivity Coordination Committee (ACCC), the meeting of the LeadImplementing Body for Sustainable Infrastructure (LIB-SI), and aconsultation between the ACCC and the LIB-SI.

Reviewing the implementation of the Master Planon ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025, ACCC members recognised the synchronousimplementation in all fields. They highly valued the ACCC’s efforts in 2017 topopularise the content of the MPAC 2025 to all specialised agencies, partnercountries, international and regional organisations, financial institutions,businesses and people. 

The meeting also appreciated the ACCC’s moves toconsolidate the apparatus and coordination mechanisms, set up national leadimplementing bodies, and initially succeed in mobilising necessary resources tocarry out initiatives in the MPAC 2025.

To ensure effective implementation, the ACCCagreed to build short-term (one year) and long-term (three years) plans tocarry out the MPAC 2025. The countries agreed to promote the implementation ofthe projects within the framework of the 15 initiatives in the MPAC, stressingthe role of the lead implementing bodies and relevant specialised agencies.

At the meeting, participants began discussingways to assess the MPAC 2025 implementation progress. Singapore suggested ameeting on this issue be held in the country in September 2018.

At the inaugural meeting of the LIB-SI on March14, ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi emphasised that infrastructure, roads,sea ports and airports are the basis for the sustainable development of ASEANcities.

Under the pressure of rapid urbanisation, inwhich 90 million people are forecast to move to ASEAN cities by 2030, the ASEANcountries must optimise existing natural resources and infrastructure whilemaking effective and creative infrastructure development plans so as to keep upwith this trend. Therefore, the role of the LIB-SI is even more important andneeds to be strengthened to become the lead body of ASEAN in implementing allinfrastructure projects in the MPAC 2025.

At the 28th ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos, inSeptember 2016, ASEAN leaders approved the MPAC 2025 with a view to achieving aseamlessly and comprehensively connected and integrated ASEAN that will promotecompetitiveness, inclusiveness and a greater sense of the Community.

At the 30th and 31st ASEAN Summits in Manila,the Philippines, in 2017, the leaders supported the necessity to consolidatethe apparatus for the MPAC 2025 implementation, including the establishment ofthe LIB-SI.-VNA