Union Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations and ASEAN Economic Minister (AEM) of Myanmar Dr Kan Zaw participated in the 56th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings in Vientiane, Laos PDR.
Union Minister attended the 38th ASEAN Free Trade Area Council Meeting on the morning of 16 September 2024. At the meeting, ministers discussed matters concerned with rules of origin (ROO), trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, standards and technology cooperation, and customs integration under the implementation of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) among ASEAN Member States. In addition, ministers provided guidance on the updated ATIGA Negotiation and tasked the Trade Negotiation Committee and their subsidiary bodies to conclude the negotiation in 2025.
In the afternoon, the Union minister also joined the 27th ASEAN Investment Area Council Meeting together with other ASEAN Economic Ministers. During the meeting, ministers exchanged views on the development of the ASEAN Sustainable Investment Guidelines, the ASEAN Investment Promotion Action Plan, the publication of the ASEAN Investment Report, the arrangement of the ASEAN Investment Forum, and investment cooperation activities in the ASEAN region.
During the 27th ASEAN Investment Area Council Meeting, the Union minister signed the Fifth Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA). The protocol includes the consolidated revised ACIA text along with its Headnote and Annexes, incorporating all amendments from the First Amendment Protocol to the current draft Fifth Protocol, and the document would be uploaded to the ASEAN website upon completion of the signing of the Fifth Protocol, to facilitate public access.
In the evening, the Union minister attended the ASEAN Economic Ministers and ASEAN Business Advisory Council Consultations. ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) briefed the meeting on the progress of the ABAC’s 2024 activities at the consultations. Ministers provided guidance for strengthening private sector engagement in future economic cooperation and endorsed the recommendations on mechanisms for Public-Private Partnership.
The Union minister joined the 56th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting together with ASEAN Economic Ministers on 17 September 2024. At the meeting, ministers noted the progress of the Priority Economic Deliverables (PED) under Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024, the ASEAN Declaration on Supply Chain Connectivity, and the recommendations for the upgrade of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Intellectual Property Cooperation. Moreover, ministers endorsed the ASEAN SME Policy Index 2024, which is a primary reference document to benchmark MSME policies across ASEAN, and the Model Framework for an Inclusive Business Accreditation System in ASEAN.
In the afternoon session, ministers noted the progress of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) Negotiations and tasked the negotiators to expedite their work in order to conclude the negotiations in 2025. Ministers also exchanged views on the implementation of sustainability initiatives under the ASEAN Economic Community, including the ASEAN Strategy for Carbon Neutrality, the Framework for Circular Economy for the AEC, and the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework. Ministers noted the progress of the development of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Strategic Schedule 2026-2030. They tasked the High-Level Task Force on Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) to complete the AEC Strategic Schedule in a timely manner.
The Union minister attended the ASEAN Economic Ministers and Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Interface Meeting on the morning of 18 September 2024. The meeting exchanged views on matters such as digital innovation and transformation, unleashing the potential for transformative and people-centred innovation in the ASEAN region towards 2045 and accelerating the activities of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among ASEAN-WIPO.
In the afternoon, the 16th Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam (CLMV) Economic Ministers’ Meeting was held, and the Union minister participated alongside the Economic Ministers of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam in the meeting. At the meeting, ministers noted the implementation of CLMV Action Plan 2023-2024 and endorsed the CLMV Action Plan 2025-2026 as a living document. Ministers tasked the CLMV senior economic officials to monitor the implementation of the activities under the action plan. Moreover, ministers discussed conducting the socialization workshop scheduled in 2024, which will discuss the development of guidelines on the Implementation Plan for the Framework for CLMV Development 2020-2030.
Mr Malaithong Kommasith, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR, chaired the meetings, which were attended by ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM), ASEAN Free Trade Area Council Ministers, ASEAN Investment Area Council Ministers, Senior Economic Officials (SEOM), ASEAN Business Advisory Council Members, Secretary-General of the ASEAN Secretariat and representatives. The meetings were joined by Mr Aung Ko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Dr Marlar Myo Nyunt, Myanmar SEOM Lead, Director-General of the Foreign Economic Relations Department and responsible persons together with the Union minister.
The Union minister will attend the meetings of the ASEAN Economic Ministers with the EU Trade Commissioner, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong (China), the United States, India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, EAS, Japan, China, Korea, Plus Three Economic Ministers, and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministers which will be held from 19 to 22 September 2024. — MIFER
