Study Tour of the CAREC National Focal Points to the Second Mekong International Bridge Project
On day 1, national focal points (NFPs) of eight CAREC member countries met officials of Thailand’s National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) at the Bangkok office, where they were briefed on
- Thailand’s national coordination arrangements for regional cooperation, and
- mainstreaming of regional cooperation projects and programs in Thailand’s national development agenda.
On day 2, the NFPs visited the Thailand section of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) East-West Economic Corridor-Second Mekong International Bridge. They were welcomed by Thai government officials led by Mukdahan Deputy Governor Boonyuen Kamhong. Ms. Nonglak Wongsuksiridacha, Department of Land Transport’s Chief of the International Transport Affairs Group, and Dr. Kiettipong Jierranaitanakit, Director of Survey and Design Group of the Highway Department,
- shared lessons from the planning and construction of the bridge,
- demonstrated the pilot implementation of the GMS cross-border transport agreement at the Mukdahan (Thailand)-Savannakhet (Lao People’s Democratic Republic) border crossing point, and
- showed the benefits of economic corridor development in Mukdahan through the operations of a free trade zone.