It gives me great pleasure to extend my best wishes to all delegations attending the Ministerial Conference on Transport organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Allow me to express my gratitude to the Government and people of the Republic of Korea for hosting this important regional event on a timely and important subject.

Advances in transport improve productivity, reduce costs and promote trade. That, in turn, encourages economic growth and social development.

Yet, poverty and inequality within and between nations remain issues of profound concern, underlining the challenge for the Asian and Pacific region in reaching all the Millennium Development Goals by the target date of 2015.

Sustainable transport has a significant role to play in advancing our efforts towards reaching the MDGs, by improving access for those that today are far removed from opportunities, services and markets.

This Conference provides a valuable platform for developing a common vision of an integrated regional transport system in support of the MDGs. It is highly fitting that the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway will be opened for signature during the Conference. The Agreement will mark a milestone in cooperation within the ESCAP region.

The United Nations will do all it can to help you fulfil your vision of transport in the service of development. In that spirit, I wish you the best for a most productive Conference.