ASEAN urged to to boost technology

ASEAN urged to to boost technology

SINGAPORE (DPA): Southeast Asian nations were urged on
Wednesday to climb up the technology ladder and emerge as a
"cyber-region" developing leading-edge science for the global
markets.

Lim Swee Say, Singapore's minister of state for trade and
industry, told the 38th meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Science
and Technology the challenge facing the grouping as it emerged
from the regional crisis was repositioning ASEAN so that it
remained relevant.

Delegates from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar participated in the
meeting for the first time, joining their Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) counterparts from Vietnam,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei and
Singapore.

Lim called on ASEAN members to start augmenting the ASEAN
Science Fund to reach the previously agreed upon target
contribution of US$1 million per member country over a period of
10 years.