Workshop highlights ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement

A workshop highlighting the potential and benefits of the free trade agreement (FTA) between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Canada was held in Ottawa on March 2. ​
Workshop highlights ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement ảnh 1Delegates at the workshop (Photo: VNA)

Ottawa (VNA)
– Aworkshop highlighting the potential and benefits of the free trade agreement(FTA) between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Canada was held in Ottawa on March 2.

Abdul Kadir Jailani, IndonesianAmbassador to Canada, told Vietnam News Agency reporters that the FTA willbring benefits to all the involved parties, including Vietnam.

The cooperation between ASEAN and Canada – its dialogue partnersince 1977 covers all the three pillars: economy, culture-society, andpolitics-security.

Canada’s trade and investmentactivities in the Southeast Asian market have developed rapidly in variousfields such as oil and gas, mining, high technology, telecommunication, foodprocessing, financial services, and aviation.

Jean Charest, Honourary Chairman of the Canada-ASEAN BusinessCouncil, said Canadacould serve as a gateway for ASEAN businesses to access North American andEuropean markets via the new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA 2.0)and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada thethe EU.

Since 2017, Canadaand ASEAN member countries have been conducting discussions on the possibilityof a bilateral FTA. Canadahopes to launch FTA negotiations with ASEAN in 2020.

Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups 10 member countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia,Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,Thailand and Vietnam./.
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