Seoul – The 16th Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Consultative Commission (CC) Meeting was successfully concluded in Seoul on 28 April 2016, with the participation of high-level delegates from the GTI Member States: the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation, as well as the representatives of local governments of Northeast Asia, financing institutions, research institutions, and international organizations.
The Meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Song In-Chang, Deputy Minister for International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Strategy and Finance, ROK. In the opening speech of H.E. Mr. Choi Sang Mok, Vice Minister of Ministry of Strategy and Finance from ROK, he anticipated the new organization to be a Blueprint Designer that can set out a vision for mutual-prosperity and future growth of Northeast Asia, a Dynamic Facilitator to provide a blueprint and identify a broad range of projects necessary for the regional development, as well as a Policy Coordinator that can fine-tune different interests of each member country without reservation.
H.E. Mr. Tong Daochi, Assistant Minister of Commerce from China also speaking at the opening, urged to expedite the legal transition process and finalize the Constitutive Document by the end of this year. He further emphasized the need to enhance regional transport connectivity through implementing prioritized projects, and support the institutional restructure to promote regional trade and investment cooperation .
“GTI is now standing in front of the crossroad to choose its way forward”, highlighted by H.E. Mr. KH. Gantsogt, State Secretary of Ministry of Finance from Mongolia, in his remarks, that he proposed GTI member states to take a dynamic leading role to give strategic and policy guidance to mobilize sustainable financial resources to demonstrate more opportunities and to achieve more tangible outcomes from the new organization.
H.E. Mr. Pavel Korolev, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Economic Development from the Russian Federation, proposed to set the following priorities for its next chairmanship: 1) Provision of food security in the region and development of mutual agricultural trade; 2) Electronic commerce and trade facilitation; 3) Development of transit transport infrastructure; 4) Energy cooperation; 5) Investment cooperation and development of industrial production; 6) Development of trans-border tourism; 7) Cooperation in the spheres of education and scientific research; 8) Involvement of small and medium-size enterprises in trade and economic collaboration in North-East Asia; 9) Participation of North-East Asian companies in implementation of projects in the Territories of advanced social and economic development of the Far East of the Russian Federation; 10) Development of the GTI institutional structure and broadening of business cooperation.
The Meeting reviewed with satisfaction the substantive development progresses on Transport, Trade & Investment, Tourism, Energy, Environment and Agriculture since the 15th CC Meeting, and approved the following documents.
ž Concept Note for Future Direction of Trade Facilitation Committee
ž Proposal on AEO Cooperation Scheme among GTI Customs Administrations
ž Proposal of Capacity Building Program for the Mongolian Customs Officials to implement AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) in Mongolia
ž Proposal of GTI Environment Cooperation Strategy in Northeast Asia
ž TOR of the GTI Agriculture Committee
ž Short and Mid Term Plan of Agriculture Cooperation
The Meeting acknowledged the positive work and in-depth discussion towards legal transition, and the continuous strong supports provided by international partners including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In particular, the Meeting agreed to restructure the current Trade Facilitation Committee (TFC) into the Trade and Investment Committee (TIC) to tackle broader agendas on trade and investment, and establish the Customs Sub-Committee (CSC) to deal with trade facilitation issues under the umbrella of TIC. The Meeting congratulated the inaugural of Agriculture Committee on 27 April convened in the framework of the 16th CC Meeting. The establishment of the Logistics Sub-Committee was endorsed by the Meeting to ensure concrete collaboration under the Local Cooperation Committee.
In the afternoon, the Meeting held joint sessions with GTI Local Cooperation Committee, NEA EXIM Banks Association, GTI Research Institutions Network, and GTI partners to explore concrete actions to promote regional development through engaging diverse stakeholders including local governments, financial institutions, research institutions and other partner agencies. The heads of delegations witnessed the Signing Ceremony of the Amendment of the Framework Agreement on the Establishment and Operation of the NEA EXIM Banks Association and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment and Operation of the GTI Research Institutions Network, and anticipated stronger resource-mobilized financial supports and think-tank supports toward development in the region.
The Meeting approved 2015 Expenditure, 2016 Budget Proposal, 2016 Work Plan and GTI Guideline for Soft Projects.
Before the closing of the Meeting, the official delegations adopted the text of Seoul Declaration by consensus. The government of the Russian Federation took the role of GTI CC Chairmanship and announced that the 17th CC meeting will take place in Russia in November 2016.
