BANGKOK, 17 June 2019 (NNT) – At the 34th ASEAN Summit, Thailand will propose plans for promoting cooperation in various areas needed among ASEAN countries and accelerate implementation of the plans by this year under the concept of “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability” which will be the main topic of this ASEAN Leaders Meeting.
Mrs. Auramon Sapthaweetham, Director-General of the Department of International Trade Negotiations, said that there will be a special ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting on the evening of June 21 and in the morning of June 22 to discuss the preparation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or RCEP so that it will be completed within this year according to ASEAN and RCEP leaders’ goals.
On the afternoon of June 22, there will be a meeting between ASEAN leaders and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council.
It is expected that urgent issues or 2019 will be presented for ASEAN leaders to acknowledge especially on the development of skilled workers and ASEAN workers to cope with the 4th Industrial Revolution, SME development and the improvement of ASEAN trade facilitation mechanisms.
The value of trade between Thailand and ASEAN in 2018 worth over 100 billion US dollars, up from the previous year by 10.4 percent.
Products worth over 59 billion US dollars were exported from Thailand to ASEAN and products worth 41 billion US dollars were imported from ASEAN to Thailand.
This year, as the ASEAN Chairman, Thailand has proposed the concept of “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability” as the main topic of this year’s ASEAN Leaders Meeting.
There are three economic aspects and issues, including preparing ASEAN to cope with the future by preparing digital operation, innovation and human resource development plans, connectivity such as linking ASEAN Single Window of all 10 countries and promoting food tourism and creating sustainability in all dimensions such as sustainable fisheries promotion and ASEAN bioenergy research and development cooperation.
