The second summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program will be held in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province on July 4 and 5. The following are key facts and figures about several GMS flagship programs:

3.5 billion US dollars -- GMS nations have launched 100-strong projects for cooperation over the past decade in areas of transportation, energy, environment, human resources development, investment, trade, tourism and agriculture. Approximately 3.5 billion US dollars have been invested in the projects.

Three Economic Corridors - This flagship program in the transport area aims at building a highly efficient transportation system, to help goods and people circulate or travel around the Mekong subregion without significant impediment, excessive cost or delay. The three corridors are the North-South Economic Corridor, the East-West Economic Corridor and the Southern Economic Corridor.

Regional Power Interconnection and Trading Arrangements -- This flagship program in the energy sector aims at reducing the cost of electricity and assuring a stable power supply to all GMS nations through power grid interconnection and power trading. GMS nations have signed Inter-Governmental Agreement on Power Trade at the first GMS summit in 2002.

Telecommunications Backbone Network -- This flagship program in the telecom sector aims at building an efficient and effective telecommunications network that provides universal access to voice and data services including the Internet at affordable yet commercially-based rates.

Phnom Penh Plan - This flagship program in the human resources sector aims at providing training for mid- and high-level government officials as well as professionals. The first phase of the program has been completed with an investment of 800,000 US dollars. The second phase of Phnom Penh Plan started in March of 2005 with an ADB investment of 800,000 US dollars and a pledged support from China of 500,000 US dollars.

Strategic Environment Framework -- This flagship program in the environmental sector aims at enhancing the importance of environmental factor in GMS countries' economic development and realizing coordinated development in the subregion through stricter management, environmental evaluation and establishment of an environmental monitoring mechanism.

GMS Tourism Development -- This flagship program aims at making the subregion an internationally recognized single destination site through inter-country visa recognition and greater mobility for tour operators and guides. Special efforts will be made to extend tourism to poor and remote areas, by means such as the development of eco-tourism.

Source: Xinhua