1. ASEAN alongside Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand gathered in Semarang on 21 August 2023 for the Second RCEP Ministers’ Meeting. The Meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Trade of Indonesia and the Hon Tim Watts MP, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia.
2. The Meeting welcomed the entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement for Indonesia and the Philippines, on 2 January 2023 and 2 June 2023, respectively. The Meeting expressed its optimism that with the implementation of the RCEPAgreement, in a transparent manner, businesses in the region will avail of the opportunities made available to them and utilize the RCEP Agreement to deepen regional economic integration.

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