The agriculture heads of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) on Tuesday met in Beijing to explore options for better cooperation in the agriculture sector.

"The Chinese government has always paid much attention to the cooperation within the GMS, with extensive programs in the agriculture sector," Chinese State Councilor Hua Jianmin told the meeting.

The GMS countries -- China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam -- have embarked on a program of economic cooperation since 1992.

"Agriculture is a key factor in the achievement of the GMS vision of a Mekong sub-region," said Lawrence Greenwood, vice president of Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Of the 316 million people in the sub-region, about two thirds live in rural areas and depend mainly on subsistence and semi-subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods.

"Clearly, the heads of the governments of GMS countries understand the relationship between agriculture development and poverty reduction," Greenwood said.

The GSM countries should step up cooperation in the agriculture sector, expand and upgrade cooperation, and increase the steady inflow of investment, Hua said.

"China would like to deepen the agriculture links within the sub-region and boost development and prosperity," he said.

"A huge number of rural poor have benefited from our collaboration in the spread of agrotechnology, prevention and control of animal epidemics and the dissemination of information."

Greenwood said, "I have no doubt that with the collective resolve of all the GMS countries and their development partners, it will succeed in accelerating the pace of agricultural development."

More than 120 agriculture officials from GSM countries and representatives from the ADB and other international organizations attended the meeting.

They also discussed the Strategic Framework for GMS Cooperation in Agriculture and the Core Agriculture Support Program.

They were expected to launch the GMS agriculture information network services website at the end of the one-day meeting.

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2007)