Tim Corbin
October 17, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – One of Asia’s most significant transportation events opens today in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the joint invitation of the International Road Federation and the Road Engineering Association of Malaysia.
More than 1,000 participants from 56 countries are expected to take part in the 2nd IRF Asia Regional Congress, a summit for road and transportation professionals. Highlighted issues addressed during the Congress include regional connectivity investments, climate-resilient road infrastructure, congestion management, as well as measures to strengthen regional capacity and tackle the region’s road traffic injury epidemic.
The Congress, themed “Connecting Asia with Better Roads”, is articulated around policy roundtables and technical sessions developed in partnership with a network of 10 partner organizations, representing all major transportation stakeholders in Malaysia and the region. A total of 200 papers will be presented during the event by local and international specialists. More than 100 exhibitors are also showcasing their latest products and technologies.
The Congress was launched today by the Malaysian Minister of Works His Excellency Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof. In his opening address, the Minister of Works said, “the Congress theme echoes the ASEAN countries’ efforts in producing the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity which includes the completion of the ASEAN Highway Network (AHN) that has been acknowledged as the flagship transport infrastructure projects on the priority agenda of the ASEAN transport cooperation.”
AHN is a critical infrastructural support facility, which is vital for greater and closer integration of the ASEAN region, as well as to facilitate regional trade, investment and tourism opportunities. AHN links all ASEAN Member States by connecting 23 designated national highway routes, with a total length of 38,400 kilometers.
“The Congress embodies the IRF’s role as a global broker of applied industry knowledge”, said IRF President & CEO C. Patrick Sankey. “With this Congress, our goal is to help policy-makers, planners and infrastructure operators from across the region translate shared challenges into concrete policy and planning decisions.”
The 2nd IRF Asia Regional Congress & Exhibition runs through October 20, 2016. Live updates are available from the IRF’s social media channels (@IRFhq #ASRC2).
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ABOUT THE IRF: The International Road Federation is a global not-for-profit organization, headquartered in Washington, DC since 1948 and supported by regional offices throughout the world. The IRF serves a network of public and private sector members in more than 70 countries by providing world-class knowledge resources, advocacy services, and continuing education programs which together offer a global marketplace for best practices and industry solutions.
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