HÀ NỘI — ASEAN member countries have made remarkable efforts to set up safe, effective and sustainable transport systems in the ASEAN region and between ASEAN and other regions.

Deputy Minister of Transport Lê Anh Tuấn made the statement at the 48th ASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meeting (STOM), which was launched on Monday in Hà Nội.

The three-day meeting attracted about 200 representatives from 10 ASEAN countries and its partners including Japan, South Korea and China.

“ASEAN countries have been working closely to effectively implement strategic goals and priorities in the Kuala Lumpur Transport Strategic Plan 2016-25,” said Tuấn.

The countries also cooperated with partners to maximise benefits in transport connectivity, contributing to the economic growth of ASEAN, especially via legal instruments like the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Goods in Transit (AFAFGIT, signed in 1998), ASEAN​ Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Inter-State Transport​ (AFAFIST), A​SEAN Framework Agreement On MultiModal Transport, and the ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Cross Border Transport of Passenger by Road Vehicles.

During the meeting, representatives discussed different protocols in the transport sector, and urged the approval process so that the signed protocols would be implemented soon.

The 25th ASEAN Transport Ministers’ Meeting (ATM 25), which will also be held in Hà Nội on November 14-15, will listen to reports on the implementation of projects within the framework of the Kuala Lumpur plan in the areas of air, maritime, land transport, and transport facilitation.

The meeting will also debate ways to bolster transport coordination with partners such as the European Union and the US – ASEAN Business Council, especially in aviation.

As one of the ASEAN members, Việt Nam committed to closely cooperate with other members to build a sustainable transport system in the region to promote the region’s integration and competitiveness. — VNS