A senior Asian Development Bank (ADB) official said here Thursday the six countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) have made tangible progress in infrastructure development to boost economic interaction and trade.

The six countries -- China, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam -- have also made achievements in sustainable economicand social development in the subregion, said Jin Liqun, vice president of the bank in an interview with Xinhua.

Jin said under the support of the bank, infrastructure construction is being stepped up in three vital economic corridorsalong the East-West, North-South, and Southern parts of the subregion, which will bring the GMS countries closer together and give a big impetus to production and trade when they are completedin 2012.

There is also great potential for developing the scenic spots along the three corridors for the benefit of the poverty-stricken local people, Jin said.

The bank initiated the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Program in 1992 to boost regional economic cooperation for faster social and economic development in the subregion.

"Through the GMS Program, we are preparing a new transport strategy to ensure that subregional transport linkages are adequate to meet the demand arising from rapid economic growth," the ADB vice president said. "We are also exploring transport linkages between the GMS and other regions."

The deepening economic restructuring in Asian countries has laid a solid foundation for sustainable development, the future ofthe GMS lies in strengthening economic integration and improving their international competitiveness, according to Jin.

The GMS countries have committed to reducing barriers to the movement of goods and people under the Cross-Border Transport Agreement, which will be fully implemented starting 2006.

A set of trade facilitation measures has also been identified for implementation from 2005-2010 in the subregion, he said.

"These include the simplification and harmonization of customs procedures, the development of trade logistics and associated facilities, the implementation of streamlined inspection and quarantine measures, and the enhancement of the mobility of business people in the subregion."

In the energy sector, Jin said, the GMS countries have agreed to develop a regional power market and work on a regulatory, technical, operational, and institutional framework is going on.

A subregional telecommunications fiber optic network is in progress to improve telecommunication in countries within the GMS and between the subregion and the outside world. Reform is underway in the GMS countries to create an environment favorable for the private sector.

"Building a GMS community free of poverty would be our legacy to future generations. In this, very good progress has already been made," Jin said.

The number of people living on less than one US dollar per day for all the GMS countries combined has been reduced from 33 percent of the total population in 1990 to 15 percent in 2002, he said.

According to him, a core environment program (CEP) was launchedat the special meeting of GMS ministers of environment in Shanghaiin May this year. The CEP will ensure stronger coordination in protecting critical ecosystems affected by regional integration, especially along the three economic corridors.

A key component of this program is the biodiversity conservation initiative designed to conserve terrestrial biodiversity and protect areas in the economic corridors in the process of development.

The GMS countries are working on a communicable disease controlplan to deal with the threat of infectious diseases, including avian flu and HIV/AIDS. Special attention will be paid to the poorand vulnerable groups in border areas when the plan is implemented,the ADB vice president said.

Source: Xinhua