Thailand seeks to complete RCEP talks by November

Local media quoted Auramon Supthaweethum, Director-General of the Trade Negotiations Department of Thailand, as saying that the country has scheduled  bilateral talks with the three partners during the RCEP trade negotiating committee's meeting set for Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang later this month, to thrash out differences on contentious issues such as opening markets for sensitive goods and services.

The RCEP initiative was launched in November 2012 with the aim of boosting economic cooperation between 10 ASEAN countries and six dialogue partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, India and New Zealand.

Negotiators from all the participating countries have concluded talks on seven articles from a total of 20, including customs and trade facilitation; state procurement; economic and technical cooperation; and small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The 13 remaining articles concern various issues such as intellectual property rights, telecommunications and market expansion for goods, services and investment.