A new international forum "" Asia Infrastructure Develop-ment Alliance (AIDA) "" will be launched when ministers from the Asia Pacific region meet in the capital this month to discuss infrastructure development problems of the region. Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda will inaugurate the meet.
The new forum will be a tripartite alliance between governments, the private sector and multilateral organisations.
The objective is to catalyse greater investment in the infrastructure sector through a public-private partnership with assistance from multi-lateral lending agencies.
The conference is being organised jointly by the United Nations and Economic & Social Commission for Asia Pacific (ESCAP).
Another international event "" the second meet of the World Infrastructure Forum""Asia 1996, will be held in connection with the ministerial conference.
UN Information Centre's director Feodor Starcevic, K R Bhati, joint secretary and Madan Mohan, deputy secretary in the surface transport ministry called a joint press conference yesterday to give a briefing on the meet.
They described the coming event as not only significant for India but for all countries of the Asia Pacific zone. They pointed out the fund constraints of the governments of the region and the imperative need of investment in the sector.
Though the conference will be formally opened by the Prime Minister on October 28, deliberations among participants will begin on October 23.
The two-day world infrastructure forum meet will begin on October 30.
Ministers from the 51 member and nine associate member countries of ESCAP are expected to adopt a declaration on infrastructure development.
Nearly 1,000 delegates including ministers, officials, representatives of private investors and multilateral agencies are expected to attend the meet.
Officials from the countries of the region and multilateral agencies will also participate in the event.
The participation of a large number of multinationals will facilitate the Indian private sector to identifies the areas where it can cooperate.
ESCAP has estimated that between 1993 and 2000, about $1,500 billion would be required for infrastructure development in the region's developing countries.
Of that amount, $500 billion have been identified as available or already committed.
