Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA) At the event, Vietnam expressed support for Indonesia's priority economiccooperation initiatives during the ASEANChairmanship Year 2023, affirming that Vietnam will continue to work closely with other ASEAN membercountries to implement the common goals of the ASEAN Economic Community.
The Vietnamese side also emphasised the need for ASEAN countries to strengthen intra-bloceconomic integration through prioritising negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) inorder to ensure that the agreement can respond to the new regional and globalsituation.
ASEAN economic ministers approved seven priority economic cooperationinitiatives of Indonesia, focusing on three main orientations including reconstructingregional growth through connecting markets and improving competitiveness;speeding up digital transformation and engaging in an inclusive digital economy,and promoting sustainable economic growth for a sustainable future.
They also agreed on annual priorities for 2023 in the economic channel,focusing on trade in goods, trade in services, investment, and facilitating the intra-regional movement of skilled labourers and business visitors, competition, consumer protection,intellectual property, e-commerce; and micro, small, and medium enterprises.
Participants reviewed negotiations to upgrade the ATIGA, the recommendations of the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration to promote regional economic integration, aswell as the implementation of the Master Plan for building the ASEAN EconomicCommunity by 2025.
They agreed toallocate resources to promote and basically complete negotiations to upgradethe ATIGA in accordance with the set roadmap.
Regarding outside-bloceconomic cooperation, participants discussed priority orientations in ASEAN'strade negotiations, and the implementation of the Regional ComprehensiveEconomic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.
They also had a consultation session with the ASEAN Business Advisory Councilto discuss the recommendations of the council related to digital transformation,sustainable development, food security, health resilience, trade and investmentfacilitation to promote trade cooperation, improve regional supply chains, andaccelerate post-COVID-19 economic recovery./.
VNA
