Member states of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) forged an agreement Friday (Nov. 10) to join a pan-Asian railroad project to allow trains to move freely across Asia and Europe, government officials said.
The U.N. sub-group first conceived of the idea for the Trans-Asian Railroad in the 1960s. Subsequent political strife all but killed the project until it was resuscitated in the 1990s as economies and diplomatic ties in the region stabilized.
The agreement was signed at a meeting of 25 transportation ministers from ESCAP member states held in the country’s southeastern port of Busan, the Ministry of Construction and Transportation said in a statement.
The system would immediately come into effect 90 days after more than eight nations become affiliated with it.
The railroad project, like the Asian Highway Network that was agreed upon last year, is aimed at enhancing the movement of people and cargo throughout Asia, which can promote growth and opportunities.
The envisioned rail system, with tracks covering more than 81,000 kilometers, consists of four major sectors -- the Northern Corridor, the Southern Corridor, the Southeast Asian network and the North-South Corridor.
Republic of Korea, part of the Northern Corridor, has agreed to put up the 495-kilometer rail section connecting the southeastern port of Busan and Dorasan Station, the country’s northernmost railway station.
Representatives of North Korea, which is also a member of U.N. ESCAP, did not show up at the meeting.
"ESCAP and Russia are working hard to lure North Korea to join the program. Without the North’s affiliation, Republic of Korea would be like a stranded island in the project," said Lee In-sik, an official on the ministry’s inter-Korean traffic team.
The countries also concurred on the need to standardize container terminals at major train stations to promote trade and travelling by trains.
ESCAP, established in 1947, is based in Bangkok and has 62 member states. Its goal is to reduce poverty, manage globalization and tackle emerging social issues.
The source of news : Korea.net November 11, 2006
