New Secretary General: ASEAN Free Trade Experience Positive Impact

Headline - the new Secretary-General of ASEAN, Le Luong Minh, noted some important developments that make Southeast Asia into one of the main drivers of today's global economy. However, he reminded the ten member countries must anticipate the diverse challenges and opportunities of trade and investment at the world more open.

Minh expressed his judgment in the handover ceremony of office of his predecessor General Secretary Surin Pitsuwan said in Jakarta today. Diplomats witnessed the partner countries, the event was also attended by Indonesian Foreign Minister, Marty Natalegawa, as the representative of the host government of the ASEAN Secretariat.
In economic pillars, the ASEAN Secretary General Minh noted that in the last three years has achieved some achievement in implementing free trade in the region. "One of them is to ensure free flow of goods in the region with the reduction of import duties to zero in six member states," said Minh.
Besides, he added, the ASEAN free trade also increased the volume of intra-regional trade of Southeast Asia to 25.4% in 2012. "Also apply a comprehensive liberalization and the removal of barriers to non-tariff barriers, trade facilitation, customs, integration, and application of standards to facilitate the free flow of goods to the region," said the former deputy foreign minister of Vietnam's.
However, with the approach of the era of economic integration - namely the ASEAN Economic Community, 2015 - just two years away, Minh warned the challenge is huge. "The opening of the flow of investment, capital, labor, goods and services, it will also become more diverse challenges and opportunities for all member states.'s Going to bring a variety of impacts on the region," said Minh.
So, to work around this, he called on all members of ASEAN to maximize the shared attitudes and minimize all the difference. "It's for adding value to every member of ASEAN," said Minh.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Natalegawa called on all members of ASEAN more actively preparing for economic integration, which will begin in 2015. "The world is paying attention to ASEAN. Then all members are expected to be more ready to implement ASEAN Economic Community and the impact of global issues," said Natalegawa.
Sources: http://dunia.news.viva.co.id/news/read/380777