EU-ASEAN Dialogue on Transportation to be held in October 2017

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The European Union (EU) Transportation Commissioner Violeta Bulc has revealed that the EU-ASEAN Transportation Dialogue will be held in Singapore on October 11, 2017.

The dialogue is one of the follow-ups of the Asia-European Meeting Transport Ministers Meeting (ASEM TMM) in Bali on September 26-28, 2017.

"I also held an informal ministerial-level meeting with the ASEAN, and I am pleased to inform you that we have agreed to launch the EU-ASEAN Transport Dialogue. The first meeting will take place on Oct 11 in Singapore, which currently leads in the field of transportation in the ASEAN," she said on Friday (Sept 29).

Bulc asserted that Indonesia has an important role in advancing regional connectivity in the ASEAN.

"I am convinced that as an ASEAN economic power and accounting for nearly 40 percent of ASEANs gross domestic product and over one-third of the total population, Indonesia will play a key role in the region, and we will deepen bilateral relations in the field of transportation through this regional dialog," she remarked.

The ASEM TMM is a meeting attended by Asian and European transport ministers and is held every two years.

The Bali Declaration is the output of the ASEM TMM 2017 meeting, which is expected to serve as a guide for member countries in discussing joint programs.

The Bali Declaration emphasizes several points, including connectivity for all dimensions, ASEM as a strategic tool to enhance cooperation between Asian and European countries, increasing the participation of private and financial institutions in investing in the transportation sector, realizing the development of sustainable transportation through the use of more effective and efficient technologies, and promoting stronger cooperation in addressing challenges faced by ASEM member countries.

ANTARA