Asean-Korea Centre Organizes 2013 Asean Connectivity Forum

Seoul, Oct 22 (Antara) - The ASEAN-Korea Center will host the 2013 ASEAN Connectivity Forum at the Seoul Plaza Hotel on Oct. 21 and 22 to discuss ways of enhancing ASEAN connectivity and Korea`s contribution towards ASEAN infrastructure development. According to a press statement received from the ASEAN Secretariat here on Tuesday, the forum, organized in cooperation with the International Contractors Association of Korea, focuses on physical connectivity mainly in the areas of financing, construction, and infrastructural operations. The forum aims to strengthen ASEAN connectivity, which will benefit not only ASEAN members but also its Dialogue Partners, including Korea. Twenty five delegates from the ASEAN, including government officials in charge of connectivity projects, the ASEAN Secretariat and Asian Development Bank (ADB), and around 100 Korean participants from related companies and organizations attended the forum. The connectivity forum provided a platform for the discussion of topics such as the current status and challenges of implementing the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) and Public Private Partnership (PPP) utilisation. Focus group discussions were convened to discuss the concrete infrastructure/construction plans and major projects of each ASEAN member state. In addition, one-on-one business meeting sessions between ASEAN delegates and Korean constructors/businesses were conducted to establish networks with ASEAN government officials and to seek new business opportunities. The MPAC envisions a well-connected ASEAN that brings together people, goods, services, and capital. Adopted at the 17th ASEAN Summit in 2010, the MPAC has made continuous progress to enhance physical connectivity, institutional connectivity, and interpersonal connectivity. Physical connectivity constitutes mainly transportation, energy, and ICT matters, and the Centre`s forum is focused on infrastructure facilities such as roads, rail, maritime facilities, inland waterways, and air linkages. In particular, the MPAC prioritizes several initiatives for implementation such as the completion of the ASEAN Highway Network`s missing links, the completion of the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link`s missing links, and the establishment of the Roll-On/Roll-Off network, all of which are expected to enhance intra-regional trade, investment, and people-to-people exchange, once completed.