Jakarta (VNA) – The signing of the RegionalComprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) shows the rest of the world thatsignatory countries believe in open and rule-based trade, Iman Pambagyo,Chief of the RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee of ASEAN, has said.
“The comprehensive nature of the agreement as well as theprinciple of “simultaneous start, differentiated timetable” also provide a goodexample on how countries who are willing to support each other may address theissue of development gaps under a trade agreement,” he told the Vietnam NewsAgency correspondent in Jakarta via email.
ASEAN is at the centre of all so it is important forthe grouping to take this journey in the context of realising the ASEANEconomic Community 2025 and beyond, he said.
He thanked the government of Vietnam for lending itspolitical support to the RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee to push hard thenegotiation on the remaining difficult issues before the deal was officiallysigned by 15 member countries on November 15.
He described it as the largest trade deal outside the WorldTrade Organisation (WTO) that ASEAN and its five partners managed toaccomplish.
He also urged all signatories to not be complacent as theroad ahead will be equally challenging: to implement all the commitments fullyand faithfully.
“It may be difficult at the time of departure but we shouldhelp each other to make sure that the agreement can enter into force soon andeverybody lives with their commitments.”
He called on ASEAN countries to focus on what they are bestat and not to push hard to produce everything behind the borders. “Key to ASEANwould be capitalising on the RCEP regional value chains and establishing ASEANas the RCEP “power house” to capture not only the RCEP markets, but also theglobal markets." he said./.