Ministers from the six countries sharing the Mekong River will discuss more concrete ways to create a better integrated, more prosperous and equitable region at a conference that is to open Wednesday in Dali city in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Topping the agenda of the three-day 12th Ministerial Meeting of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program will be the further opening up of borders, speeding up of priority projects, and dialogue with development partners.

Ministers of the six countries -- China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam -- are expected to take a major step forward in further opening up their borders and complement ongoing trans-border road projects.

The meeting will also discuss ways to carry forward the proposals made by the GMS leaders at their first summit held last November in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Meanwhile, the ministers will review the progress made, and discuss future directions.

The GMS program was started in 1992 with the Asian Development Bank as a major partner, and has so far achieved tangible results in such key areas as road transport, energy, environment and human resources development.

China's Finance Minister Jin Renqing will participate in the meeting.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2003)