ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) and their counterparts from ASEAN’s FTA Partners made an important first step towards establishing a new regional free trade area, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), this week. Ministers recognized the significance of RCEP in strengthening the region’s economic architecture, and committed to making RCEP a modern, high quality agreement, which will underpin and promote future growth, development and integration in the participating countries.
“ASEAN deepens and broadens economic integration not only within its Member States but also with its FTA partners. We always strive to boost the confidence of businesses in the region and the regional economic integration to create an environment conducive for production networks to operate in,” said Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN.
The Ministers welcomed the first meeting among the Economic Ministers of ASEAN and its FTA Partners as a key step towards launching the RCEP negotiations, which could potentially transform the region into an integrated market comprising over 3 billion people with a combined GDP of about US$ 17.23 trillion.
Economic Ministers from ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and New Zealand participated in the First AEM Plus FTA Partners Consultations. To see the full Joint Media Statement, please click here.
To see the pictures from the 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting and Related Meetings, please click here.
- ABOUT ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, followed by Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.Menu - WHAT WE DO
ASEAN organs always strive to achieve ASEAN’s goals and objectives, the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat shall be functioned as coordinating Secretariat to help facilitate effective decision-making withing and amongst ASEAN bodies. In addition, each Member State shall appoint a Permanent Representative to liaise with Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat
Menu - WHO WE WORK WITH
ASEAN shall develop friendly relations and mutually beneficial dialogues, cooperation and partnerships with countries and sub-regional, regional and international organisations and institutions. This includes external partners, ASEAN entities, human rights bodies, non-ASEAN Member States Ambassadors to ASEAN, ASEAN committees in third countries and international organisations, as well as international / regional organisations.
Menu - OUR COMMUNITIES
The rodmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015) was declared by the leaders in 2009. The ASEAN Community, anchored on three community pillars: Political-Security Community, Economic Community, Socio-Cultural Community was launched in 2015. The ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together was introduced in 2015 as a Post-2015 Vision. It comprises the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025
Menu
