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.