Leaders at the third Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit in Thailand last year (Photo: VNA) Bangkok (VNA)- Dialogue partners of ASEAN are still committedto signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement bythe end of 2020 as scheduled despite the spreading novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2,according to the local media.
Auramon Supthaweethum, Director-General of the Trade Negotiations Departmentunder the Thai Commerce Ministry, was quoted by the Bangkok Post newspaper as sayingthat the department has adjusted the trade negotiation schedule during theoutbreak by using video conferencing or virtual meetings to talk with dialoguepartners.
The 29th RCEP Trade Negotiation Committee meeting scheduled for March 23-27 inJakarta, Indonesia will also be a video conference, it said.
Thailand and dialogue partners are advancing the review of legal texts andother related work in accordance with the set work plan, and preparing thefinal text for countries to sign.
The RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement between the 10 member states ofASEAN and six dialogue partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea,India, Australia and New Zealand. Negotiations on the RCEP started in late 2012at the 21st ASEAN Summit in Cambodia.
In the talks in last November, India announced its withdrawal from theagreement over unresolved issues, especially those concerning agriculturaltariffs./.
VNA
