MANILA — Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez will be attending the 50th ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting and Related Meetings from August 29 to September 1 in Singapore, and will be joining President Rodrigo Duterte in his visit to Israel and Jordan next week, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced Wednesday.
During the AEM Meeting, the 10 member states’ trade chiefs are moving forward the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) — a trade pact among ASEAN and its six free trade agreement (FTA) partners including Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.
In his opening address at the 50th AEM Meeting, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that “the possibility of substantively concluding the RCEP negotiations is finally in sight” after talks have reached “a critical stage”.
Lopez hoped for a substantial conclusion of RCEP last year when the Philippines hosted the 50th ASEAN Summit.
However, the deal was not closed after a participating nation was not ready to commit at the level of the 15 other states in terms of the percentage of tariff lines that it will allow for zero duty.
Following the engagements in the AEM meet, the country’s top trade official will be joining Duterte in his visit to Israel from September 2 to 5 and will then fly to Jordan.
According to the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, Lopez will also be leading a business delegation to Middle Eastern countries to strengthen trade and investment relations with Israel and Jordan. (Kris Crismundo/PNA)
