The two-day meeting covered topics such as an overview of customs cooperation in the sub-region, the revised Kyoto Convention, a framework for standards to secure and facilitate global trade and capacity-building in the GMS countries.

GMS members are Cambodia, China , Laos, Burma, Vietnam and Thailand.

The six countries aim to reconcile their customs procedures and raise them to world-accepted standards, according to Sathit Limpongpan, director-general of the Thai Customs Department.

The five countries have agreed on a single-inspection and one-stop service clear customs more quickly at border checkpoints. However, this service requires the each country to amend their laws and regulations and as a result has not yet been implemented, Sathit said.

Customs cooperation will be extended further, to ensure the safety and security of goods transported across borders.

Although each country has its own priorities, it is important that they should have common standards, said Kunio Mikuriya, deputy secretary-general of the World Customs Organisation.

Jaseem Ahmed, the Asian Development Bank's director of governance, finance and trade, expressed optimism about level of economic cooperation in the sub-region, saying he believes it will accelerate.

He said that after the GMS agreement was signed in 1992, cooperation progressed slowly for the first five years as the six members built up trust and confidence.

Wichit Chaitrong

The Nation