HANOI, Aug 31 (NNN-XINHUA) – Member countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), are expected to hold a meeting in Oct, on preparation work for the deal’s signing within this year, a Vietnamese official said Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference of the just concluded 52nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Meeting and related meetings, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade, Tran Tuan Anh said, signing the RCEP by the end of this year was a priority.
The meeting, scheduled for Oct, will continue to evaluate and review the preparing works for the RCEP’s signing, before reporting to the 37th ASEAN Summit in Nov, and is believed to bring updated and supplemented information, Anh said.
He said, economic ministers from the RCEP countries had careful discussions and exchanges on orientations to solve the remaining issues in finalising RCEP negotiation and preparing for its signing within this year.
“It can be said that most remaining issues related to work contents and conclusion of the RCEP negotiation have achieved very positive results.”
He said, RCEP has always been among the priorities in Vietnam’s integration strategy and is identified as one of the 13 priority goals in Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2020.
He also said, ASEAN and China are committed to enhancing cooperation in important fields, especially in imperative fields in the context of COVID-19 and those with regard to vaccine production and distribution.– NNN-XINHUA
