Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei Darussalam yesterday hosted the 14th BIMP-EAGA Ministerial Meeting which deliberated on, among other things, the progress of the implementation of the BIMP-EAGA Roadmap to Development 2006 - 2010 that includes development in priority areas of BIMP-EAGA such as transportation, natural resources, SMEs and tourism.

Held at the International Convention Centre, Bandar Seri Begawan, the meeting was preceded by the 18th BIMP-EAGA Senior Officials Meeting held on August 5-6, 2009.

Ministers, including heads of local governments and governors from Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines attended the meeting.

"What transpired through the meetings is essentially on the roadmaps that have been put forward to senior officials," said Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Date Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (II), during a press conference yesterday.

The minister said, "Various projects have been discussed, and, the senior officials have come up with a concrete proposal that will be brought to the leaders of the world in October for the next meeting."-

The meeting also deliberated on the future direction of BIMP-EAGA beyond 2010.

Ministers also had an interactive session with diverse private sector representatives from BIMP-EAGA region as well as .Japan. The session had the objective of exchanging views and concerns of the private sectors in their business dealings in the sub-region.

A total of 150 delegates from BIMP-EAGA countries attended the meeting together with delegates from Northern Territory, Australia, Japan as well as the Asian Development Bank, B1MP-EAGA Business Council and German Technical. Cooperation (GTZ).

In conjunction with the meetings, the B1MP-EAGA Trade Exposition and Business Conference 2009 were held at the International Convention Centre.

Over 50 exhibitors took part in the exposition with participation from Japanese and BIMP-EAGA companies.

Some 100 participants, mainly from the BIMP-EAGA private sectors, took part in the conference, which discussed wide-ranging topics from trade facilitation, environment and financing options for the private sector. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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