On 19 February 2010, Mrs. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and Mr. Jean-Pierre Verbiest, Country Director, Asian Development Bank (ADB), paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to exchange views on the connectivity development in the region at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the discussion, Foreign Minister Kasit emphasized the importance of the connectivity development in Asia, which will benefit peoples in the region. He reiterated Thailand’s  readiness to cooperate not only with neighboring countries to develop transportation routes, but with other developing countries in the regional frameworks that Thailand actively participate such as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). In addition, the Foreign Minister also invited the ESCAP and the ADB to play more active role in promoting the connectivity development in the region by way of bridging missing links and upgrading existing routes such as the Asian Highway connecting the “East-West” and the “North-South” Corridors. He suggested that both agencies could help develop a system to facilitate the logistical, customs and immigration procedures. The ESCAP could initially support the researches on transportation route development and standard setting while the ADB could provide financial assistance to road improvement. 

The ESCAP Executive Secretary and the ADB Country Director expressed their readiness to cooperate with Thailand on the said matters and informed that they were now considering to co-organize the connectivity-related special event with Thailand during the 66th annual meeting of the ESCAP in May this year.