Economic ministers and officials of ASEAN agreed to boost regional economic integration at the 41st ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) closed in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 16.

They also signed numerous important documents on trade and investment with their dialogue partners.

Participants proposed the formation of a common market within the plan to build an ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.

They also discussed the feasibility of regulations on customs alliance cooperation development and other cooperation forms to raise the association’s strength.

Vietnamese Industry and Trade Minister Vu Huy Hoang and other participants discussed plan to boost economic cooperation with the bloc’s dialogue partners and gave out measures to expand cooperation in trade and investment between the ASEAN members and China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

They also exchanged views on efforts to overcome the global financial crisis and experiences to cope with the A/H1N1 flu epidemic.

At the four-day meeting, ASEAN signed with India the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) after six years of negotiations.

They signed an investment agreement with China that is expected to bring in trade and investment expansion among the two sides.

Ministers of ASEAN and Australia and New Zealand agreed to allow the private sector to hold the active role and will study measures to implement to get most benefits.

ASEAN Ministers also signed a letter of understanding on the Product Specific Rules of Origin with the RoK, aiming to facilitate trade between the two sides.

The AEM’s results will be submitted to the ASEAN Summit slated for late October in Thailand./.