Roundtable discussion featured speakers which included Asean secretary-general Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi. (Photo: bangkokpost.com) Bangkok (VNA) – Secretary-General ofthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Lim Jock Hoi has expressedhis confidence that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) willbe completed in principle before Thailand’s chairmanship ends at the end ofthis year.
At a roundtable on ASEAN Vision 2040: TowardsBolder and Stronger ASEAN Community in Bangkok on October 6, theSecretary-General said despite Malaysia’s recent decision to backtrack on itscommitment to the deal and the growing trade tensions between Japan and theRepublic of Korea, he remains optimistic that the RCEP negotiations willcontinue as planned.
He added that against the backdrop of tradetension and uncertainties in the global market, ASEAN is still determined tocomplete the RCEP negotiations.
The bloc needs to take a pragmatic approach, hesaid, adding that with the significant progress in the recent negotiation roundin Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang, ASEAN should do all it can to resolve andfinalise the negotiations in 2019.
The latest round of the RCEP negotiation in DaNang last month was fruitful, with negotiations on 13 out of the 20 chapters inthe free trade agreement concluded./.
VNA
