A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong has attended an international transport ministerial meeting in Bangkok.

At the meeting, the Vietnamese delegation presented the country’s policies on transport development and safety as well as its efforts to join hands in building trans-Asia road and railway systems and facilitate cross-border travel.

Thanks to pushing up the implementation of drastic measures relating to transport, in 2010 Vietnam marked the fourth consecutive year of reducing the numbers of traffic accidents, fatality and injuries, Nguyen Van Thach, Deputy Head of the Transport Ministry’s International Cooperation Department, told the meeting.

The March 12-16 meeting drew transport ministers and officials from 30 member countries of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and representatives from UN agencies and international organisations.

Recognising the importance of transport infrastructure and services for the region’s integration and sustainable socio-economic development, participants highlighted the policy of encouraging the use of the trans-Asia highway and railway routes, waterways and the inland port system.

The meeting recalled the commitment to implementing the Busan declaration on transport development in the Asia-Pacific region and adopted the action programme on transport development for the region for 2012-2016 (phase II) and a regional strategic framework on international road facilitation.

It emphasised the application of new technologies and urged countries to ensure safety in their transport.

The meeting took place in the context where traffic accidents claimed 645,000-700,000 lives and left 30 million injuries each year in the region, causing losses worth at least 96 billion USD, equivalent to 1-3 percent of the region’s GDP for property loss, treatment cost and reduced labour productivity.-VNA