Opening Borders and Working Together During the Ninth Conference on the Program of Economic Cooperation in the Greater Mekong Subregion, key topics addressed by Ministers were opening borders and working together to overcome poverty and shared environmental problems, and to strengthen investment and business linkages. Ministers expressed: •confidence that the Mekong Subregion is rebounding from the Asian economic crisis stronger and more integrated; •determination to redouble their initiatives to accelerate, strengthen and extend regional economic cooperation within the Subregion; and •commitment to broaden the benefits of regional economic co-operation, especially for the poor.