ID :
48304
Sun, 03/01/2009 - 05:13
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/48304
The shortlink copeid
IMT-GT TO PROMOTE TRANSPORTATION COOPERATION
Hua Hin, Feb 28 (ANTARA) - Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand agreed to increase cooperation under the framework of IMT-GT growth triangle particularly in the field of transportation.
Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal made the statement after flanking Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presiding over the 4th Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) summit here on Saturday afternoon.
"The president led the IMT-GT sub-regional meeting which was also attended by Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Badawi and Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajive, the president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Surin Pitsuwan," he said.
He said during the meeting the heads of government heard a report from Indonesian acting coordinating minister for the economy Sri Mulyani, on the progress of the cooperation in the past two years. Indonesia is this year's chairman of the IMT-GT.
"The meeting just now discussed ways to improve the IMT-GT cooperation. One point being underlined by them is that although we are now facing a global financial crisis it does not mean that we have to relax our cooperation but must even treat its presence as more important," he said.
Dino said the meeting also emphasized the importance of continuously intensifying the implementation of programs that have been planned under the IMT-GT scheme in the future particularly with regard to development of transportation corridors that would link the three countries.
"Totally there will be five corridors the development of which hopefully could be accelerated to support economic activities particularly trade, investment and tourism," he said.
The IMT-GT member countries agreed to increase the development of land, air and sea transportation infrastructure and therefore the development of the corridors needed to be accelerated.
"President Yudhoyono just now emphasized that the sub-regional meeting would only be successful if local governors in Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand and also the private sector would participate in the effort," he said.
Governments, he said, could only give a cooperation framework and a blueprint while its implementation would be in the hands of local administrations and businessmen.
When asked about the deadline of the development of the corridors Dino said the heads of government at the meeting had only agreed to use the word acceleration and did not specify it.
He said however they agreed the corridor development would include roads, ports and air transportation service. "The corridors include land, sea and air transportation," he said.
He said the strengthening of the cooperation would contribute positively to the Asean integration scheduled to be realized in 2015.
"So it is all covered in the mission and vision of the Asean single community in 2015 while its purpose is indeed to shorten the development gaps between the regions," he said.
He said the IMT-GT meeting had also discussed development of halal (allowed by Islamic law) industries.
The five corridor development include extension of the corridor between Songkhla in Thailand and Penang in Malaysia and Medan in Indonesia, the Malacca Strait corridor, the Banda Aceh, Medan, Dumai and Palembang corridor in Indonesia, the Malaka (Malaysia) and Dumai (Indonesia) corridor and the corridor of Ranong, Phuket in Thailand and Aceh in Indonesia.
The IMT-GT was established in 1993 with a purpose of promoting a growth area based upon a trilateral sub-regional cooperation scheme focussing on investment, technology transfer, production cooperation and exploitation of natural resources in South Thailand, North Malaysia and Indonesian island of Sumatra.
The IMT-GT also aims to promote infrastructure development and transportation network in the triangle area. At present the IMT-GT covers five provinces in South Thailand namely Narathiwat, Pattani, Satun, Songkhla and Yala, five regions in North Malaysia namely Kedah, Penang, Perak, Perlis and Selangor and a number of provinces in Sumatra namely Aceh, North Sumatra, South Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Jambi and Riau.
The IMT-GT cooperation framework has two functional mechanism namely an annual ministerial- and senior official-level meeting and a business council jointly carried out with the private sector.
The sub-region has large economic potentials with regard to its vast area, abundant manpower and natural resources and a vast market of 70 million people.
These factors could make the IMT-GT a promising growth magnet if they are combined with the financial strength and business expertise of the private sector.
The region offers economic opportunities in the field of industry and farming including on commodities such as rubber, oilpalm, fruits and vegetables, sea products, oil, natural gas and wood.
Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal made the statement after flanking Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presiding over the 4th Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) summit here on Saturday afternoon.
"The president led the IMT-GT sub-regional meeting which was also attended by Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Badawi and Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajive, the president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Surin Pitsuwan," he said.
He said during the meeting the heads of government heard a report from Indonesian acting coordinating minister for the economy Sri Mulyani, on the progress of the cooperation in the past two years. Indonesia is this year's chairman of the IMT-GT.
"The meeting just now discussed ways to improve the IMT-GT cooperation. One point being underlined by them is that although we are now facing a global financial crisis it does not mean that we have to relax our cooperation but must even treat its presence as more important," he said.
Dino said the meeting also emphasized the importance of continuously intensifying the implementation of programs that have been planned under the IMT-GT scheme in the future particularly with regard to development of transportation corridors that would link the three countries.
"Totally there will be five corridors the development of which hopefully could be accelerated to support economic activities particularly trade, investment and tourism," he said.
The IMT-GT member countries agreed to increase the development of land, air and sea transportation infrastructure and therefore the development of the corridors needed to be accelerated.
"President Yudhoyono just now emphasized that the sub-regional meeting would only be successful if local governors in Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand and also the private sector would participate in the effort," he said.
Governments, he said, could only give a cooperation framework and a blueprint while its implementation would be in the hands of local administrations and businessmen.
When asked about the deadline of the development of the corridors Dino said the heads of government at the meeting had only agreed to use the word acceleration and did not specify it.
He said however they agreed the corridor development would include roads, ports and air transportation service. "The corridors include land, sea and air transportation," he said.
He said the strengthening of the cooperation would contribute positively to the Asean integration scheduled to be realized in 2015.
"So it is all covered in the mission and vision of the Asean single community in 2015 while its purpose is indeed to shorten the development gaps between the regions," he said.
He said the IMT-GT meeting had also discussed development of halal (allowed by Islamic law) industries.
The five corridor development include extension of the corridor between Songkhla in Thailand and Penang in Malaysia and Medan in Indonesia, the Malacca Strait corridor, the Banda Aceh, Medan, Dumai and Palembang corridor in Indonesia, the Malaka (Malaysia) and Dumai (Indonesia) corridor and the corridor of Ranong, Phuket in Thailand and Aceh in Indonesia.
The IMT-GT was established in 1993 with a purpose of promoting a growth area based upon a trilateral sub-regional cooperation scheme focussing on investment, technology transfer, production cooperation and exploitation of natural resources in South Thailand, North Malaysia and Indonesian island of Sumatra.
The IMT-GT also aims to promote infrastructure development and transportation network in the triangle area. At present the IMT-GT covers five provinces in South Thailand namely Narathiwat, Pattani, Satun, Songkhla and Yala, five regions in North Malaysia namely Kedah, Penang, Perak, Perlis and Selangor and a number of provinces in Sumatra namely Aceh, North Sumatra, South Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Jambi and Riau.
The IMT-GT cooperation framework has two functional mechanism namely an annual ministerial- and senior official-level meeting and a business council jointly carried out with the private sector.
The sub-region has large economic potentials with regard to its vast area, abundant manpower and natural resources and a vast market of 70 million people.
These factors could make the IMT-GT a promising growth magnet if they are combined with the financial strength and business expertise of the private sector.
The region offers economic opportunities in the field of industry and farming including on commodities such as rubber, oilpalm, fruits and vegetables, sea products, oil, natural gas and wood.
