PHNOM PENH - The 17th ASEAN Transport Ministers' meeting kicked off here on Thursday to gear up for the realization of the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.

Speaking at the opening ceremony at the Peace Palace, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said the meeting was very important to speed up work towards the ASEAN Free Trade Areas in 2015.

"An efficient and integrated transport system was essential for ASEAN to integrate with the global economy, improve competitiveness and enhance the inflow of foreign direct investment," he said. "The ASEAN transport sector has seen remarkable progress and definitely, we will be on the right track towards an ASEAN Community in 2015."

Meanwhile, the premier urged the ASEAN transport ministers to accelerate the process of building the Singapore-Kunming railroad to bridge between ASEAN-China.

He said the railroad construction should be completed by 2015 or the latest by 2020.

Meanwhile, Tram Iv Tek, Cambodia's minister of public works and transport, said the ASEAN transport cooperation focused on continued development of the trans-ASEAN transportation network covering major highways, railways, ports and airports in order to facilitate cross-border transport through the goods in transit.

During the two-day 17th ATM meeting, there will be the meetings of the 10th ASEAN- China Transport Ministers, the 3rd ASEAN- South Korea Transport Ministers, and 10th ASEAN- Japan Transport Ministers.

At the end of the meetings, the 17th ATM meeting expects to adopt the ASEAN Aviation Market Roadmap and its implementation framework for the development of the ASEAN Single Aviation Market; the Protocol to Implement the Seventh Package of Air Services Commitment under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services; the Protocol on Railways Border and Interchange Stations of the Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) group Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.