Government officials and private sector leaders from four South Asian countries met in Bangkok earlier this week to take part in working groups on developing transport, trade, and private sector co-operation in the sub-region.
According to sources here on Thursday, officials from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal represented the 4th meeting of the Transportation Working Group and the Trade, Investment, and Private Sector Co-operation Working Group of the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Co-operation (SASEC).
The Transportation working group reviewed the progress and charted next steps for the SASEC 6 Corridors transport project and the SASEC Trade-Facilitation Action Plan.
Meanwhile, the trade, investment, and private sector co-operation-working group discussed the priorities in trade and investments in SASEC and constraints such as non-tariff barriers and customs harmonisation in the sub-region. The two working groups also convened in joint sessions to harness synergies between the transportation and trade sectors.
SASEC was established in 2001 with ADB support, following South Asia Growth Quadrangle's request for assistance in promoting the sub-region's economic co-operation initiatives in the following priority areas: transport; tourism; trade, investment and private sector co-operation; energy, power, environment; and information and communications technology.
The programme is now on its third phase. Participants include SASEC's member countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal, with Sri Lanka as a member of the Tourism Working Group.