Several countries, partners intend to open dialogue forums with ASEAN
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Xinhua, August 11, 2011
Several friendly countries and dialogue partners intend to open dialogue forums with the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) as they are convinced with the bloc's success in integrating economy of its member countries, an Indonesian official said on Thursday
"The ASEAN is always optimistic in integrating economy of its 10 member countries in one way or another," Iman Pambagyo, director of ASEAN Cooperation at the Directorate General International Trade Cooperation at the Indonesian Trade Ministry, told a press conference here.
According to Pambagyo, one of indications that the ASEAN managed to integrate itself is many requests from partners and friendly countries to open dialog forums, such as the Gulf Countries Cooperation (GCC).
"In fact, Mercosur countries (consisting of Argentine, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) want to open dialogues and talk about the possibility of free trade agreement. Other countries like Turkey and Pakistan also want to open dialogues," said Pambagyo.
He said that most of the measures in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2015 Blueprint had been accomplished between 2008 and 2010.
The ASEAN had implemented 73.4 percent of the measures under the AEC Blueprint as by the end of July 2011.
One of the important achievements is in tariff reduction.
By 2010, for example, 99.11 percent tariffs of ASEAN-6 (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) were already 0 percent, whilst 98.86 percent tariffs of ASEAN-4 ( Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar and Vietnam) were ranging at 0-5 percent.
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