[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
Call to improve BIMSTEC telecom, tr
--------------10258BAE31977537203A8255
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Call to improve BIMSTEC telecom, transport facilities
The Hindu (New Delhi)
April 24, 2001
NEW DELHI, APRIL 23: The Foreign Secretary, Ms. Chokila Iyer, today
called upon experts from the BIMSTEC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar,
Singapore and Thailand Economic Cooperation) region to adopt a
four-point strategy to improve regional transport and communications.
These include ensuring optimal utilization of ports, developing rail,
road and inland waterways corridors, removing border transport
bottlenecks and taking advantage of past transport corridors.
Inaugurating the first BIMSTEC experts meeting on transport and
communications, she stressed that the discussions here would help in
drawing up the framework of a substantive action and work programme for
the fourth ministerial conference being held in Yangon in mid-May.
In the area of telecommunications, she said India would be glad to share
its experience and know-how in modernizing trans-border links and
providing efficient communication facilities to agencies such as
Customs. India also had ongoing initiative to construct nationwide
optical fibre networks with private sector involvement and financing.
Ms. Iyer said BIMSTEC?s strategic geographic location should be taken
advantage of, especially in view of the transcontinental land and rail
routes being contemplated to link the major parts of Asia. The Asian
Highway and trans-Asian rail routes would traverse this region. The
linkages created between east, southeast and south Asia would create
enormous development opportunities. She referred to the recent opening
of the stretch of road linking India and Myanmar as an example of the
tangible benefits of cooperation for the region.
She urged the experts to identify telecommunication projects in the
region. ?Radio trunking, satellite-based monitoring and navigation
facilities can be engineered and provided to augment the inland
waterways, shipping and even road transportation.?
The Foreign Secretary felt the regional transportation infrastructure
should have five key features: network continuity, common standards, the
capability to use multiple modes, the ability to cater to the trade flow
and be environment-friendly.
Regarding the four-point strategy to achieve this objective, she said
first, optimal utilization of ports needs to be facilitated. Second,
rail, road and inland waterway corridors need to be developed to
function as high speed and economical links from the hinterland to these
ports as well as provide a continuous link along important directions of
trade flow among BIMSTEC countries.
Third, smooth intra-regional transport needs to be facilitated by
removing bottlenecks such as the high costs of delays at several customs
check points. Fourth, she pointed to the need to take advantage of
transport corridors that existed in the past.
--------------10258BAE31977537203A8255
Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>
<center><b><font color="#0000FF"><font size=+2>Call to improve BIMSTEC
telecom, transport facilities</font></font></b></center>
<p><b><font color="#990000"><font size=+1>The Hindu (New Delhi)</font></font></b>
<br><b><font color="#990000"><font size=+1>April 24, 2001</font></font></b>
<p><font size=+1><b><font color="#990000">NEW DELHI, APRIL 23:</font></b>
The Foreign Secretary, Ms. Chokila Iyer, today called upon experts from
the BIMSTEC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand Economic
Cooperation) region to adopt a four-point strategy to improve regional
transport and communications. These include ensuring optimal utilization
of ports, developing rail, road and inland waterways corridors, removing
border transport bottlenecks and taking advantage of past transport corridors.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Inaugurating the first BIMSTEC experts meeting on transport
and communications, she stressed that the discussions here would help in
drawing up the framework of a substantive action and work programme for
the fourth ministerial conference being held in Yangon in mid-May.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In the area of telecommunications, she said India would
be glad to share its experience and know-how in modernizing trans-border
links and providing efficient communication facilities to agencies such
as Customs. India also had ongoing initiative to construct nationwide optical
fibre networks with private sector involvement and financing.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Ms. Iyer said BIMSTEC?s strategic geographic location
should be taken advantage of, especially in view of the transcontinental
land and rail routes being contemplated to link the major parts of Asia.
The Asian Highway and trans-Asian rail routes would traverse this region.
The linkages created between east, southeast and south Asia would create
enormous development opportunities. She referred to the recent opening
of the stretch of road linking India and Myanmar as an example of the tangible
benefits of cooperation for the region.</font>
<p><font size=+1>She urged the experts to identify telecommunication projects
in the region. ?Radio trunking, satellite-based monitoring and navigation
facilities can be engineered and provided to augment the inland waterways,
shipping and even road transportation.?</font>
<p><font size=+1>The Foreign Secretary felt the regional transportation
infrastructure should have five key features: network continuity, common
standards, the capability to use multiple modes, the ability to cater to
the trade flow and be environment-friendly.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Regarding the four-point strategy to achieve this objective,
she said first, optimal utilization of ports needs to be facilitated. Second,
rail, road and inland waterway corridors need to be developed to function
as high speed and economical links from the hinterland to these ports as
well as provide a continuous link along important directions of trade flow
among BIMSTEC countries.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Third, smooth intra-regional transport needs to be facilitated
by removing bottlenecks such as the high costs of delays at several customs
check points. Fourth, she pointed to the need to take advantage of transport
corridors that existed in the past.</font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p> </html>
--------------10258BAE31977537203A8255--