VIENTIANE, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Enhancing liveability within the major urban areas of South--East Asia was on the agenda as civic leaders of some ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) capitals met in Laos Tuesday.
Urban issues such as transportation, traffic congestion and accidents were high on the agenda as governors and mayors of Bangkok, Bandar Seri Begawan, Jakarta, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Naypyidaw, Phnom Penh, Singapore and Vientiane gathered in the Lao capital for their fourth meeting.
Food security and safety and organic food production were on the agenda alongside various green city initiatives while cooperation between the capitals to exploit synergies in tourism and industry development, capacity building and skills training and labor exchange were also discussed.
The 4th Meeting of Governors/Mayors of the Capitals of ASEAN is one of the multilateral meetings being held in Laos as per its 2016 chairmanship of the 10--member grouping, a role set to be assumed by The Philippines in 2017.
