In 1995, GTI member governments signed formal agreements to establish the intergovernmental cooperation mechanism, aimed at strengthening economic and technical cooperation, and attaining greater growth and sustainable development for the peoples and countries in Northeast Asia and the Greater Tumen Region in particular.
Since its creation, GTI has remained a unique intergovernmental platform for economic cooperation, fostering peace, stability and sustainable development in Northeast Asia. It is playing a significant role in expanding policy dialogue and strengthening a business-friendly environment in the region, therefore contributing to the improvement of living standards through the development of infrastructure and the promotion of trade and investment.
GTI has a special focus on the promotion of the border areas – the Greater Tumen Region, which covers the three Northeast provinces (Jilin, Heilongjiang, & Liaoning) and Inner Mongolia of China; the Eastern Provinces of Mongolia; the Eastern port cities of the Republic of Korea and the Primorsky Territory of the Russian Federation.
The Greater Tumen Region possesses enormous potential for investment and job opportunities with its skilled and low-cost labour pool. The Tumen River ties this region together at the crossroads of vital trade, transport and energy routes. Rich in gas, oil and minerals, the region has easy access to affluent markets in the GTI member countries and Japan, representing millions of consumers. The huge economic potential of the region can only be fully harnessed through dynamic cooperation among its neighbours and the sharing of resources.
The core decision-making institution of GTI is the Consultative Commission composed of government representatives from the GTI member countries. The Commission’s role is to foster support for the development of Northeast Asia and the Greater Tumen Region in particular. Moreover, it promotes mutual understanding and benefit as well as economic, environmental and technical cooperation in the region.
At the 8th Meeting of the GTI Consultative Commission held in Sept. 2005 in Changchun, China, the governments agreed to extend the 1995 agreements for a period of 10 years and adopted the Changchun Agreements in which member countries committed to take full ownership of GTI through increased contribution in financial and human resources, with the continuous support of UNDP. The meeting agreed on the GTI Strategic Action Plan 2006 – 2015, focusing GTI activities on four priority sectors: Transport, Energy, Tourism and Investment with Environment as a cross-cutting theme.
The 9th Meeting of the GTI Consultative Commission, the Northeast Asia Partnership Forum and the 1st Investment Forum were successfully held in Nov. 2007 in Vladivostok, Russia. The intergovernmental meeting proved to be a turning-point marking a shift to a more pragmatic approach of cooperation focusing on development. A number of “GTI projects” were earmarked by the member countries to support economic development and ensure capacity building in the member countries. The GTI institutional structures - the Energy Board, the Tourism Board and the Environment Board were established to further strengthen regional cooperation in the priority sectors. The Business Advisory Council (BAC) was created at the 9th CC meeting to serve as a private-public partnership mechanism for economic cooperation in the region. BAC held its 2nd meeting in Shanghai on 24 March 2008, confirming the high potential of Northeast Asia for investment and the significant role of the private sector in economic development.
The 10th Meeting of the GTI Consultative Commission, the 2nd Investment Forum and the 3rd BAC meeting were successfully concluded in March 2009 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The 10th CC meeting demonstrated the progress in regional cooperation among GTI countries. The participating governments agreed to undertake concrete steps for continuous promotion and branding of the “GTI projects”. The Transport Board was established in order to develop a proper transport infrastructure and logistical network, and the Trade Facilitation Committee was created to facilitate regional trade. Moreover, the Joint session with BAC, organised for the first time in the framework of the 10th CC meeting, laid a solid foundation for strengthening public - private dialogue in Northeast Asia.
Regional cooperation is continuously promoted through GTI activities in the priority sectors. Following the success of the 1st GTI Tourism Board meeting on 12 June 2008 in Seoul, the Tourism Board held its 2nd meeting on 1 Sept. 2009 in Changchun, concluded with the adoption of the GTI Tourism Action Plan 2010-2012 and agreed on concrete activities, such as publishing the GTI Tourism Guide and developing cross-border tourism in the region. The Inaugural Meeting of the GTI Energy Board was held on 16 Sept. 2009 in Ulaanbaatar and a number of energy projects were included in the GTI Energy Action Plan for 2010-2012 for joint promotion. The BAC Executive Committee meeting was held on 27 Oct. 2009 in Beijing, consolidating the coordination among BAC members and strengthening the dialogue between the business community and the GTI member governments.
The 11th Meeting of the GTI Consultative Commission, the 3rd Investment Forum and the 1st Local Development Forum are planned to be held in China in 2010.
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