SIEM REAP, Sept 14 (NNN-AKP) – The 54th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ meeting (54th AEM) and related meetings, kicked off here today, discussing the progress of economic community integration, post-COVID-19 economic recovery, and rising global inflation, among others.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Cambodian Prime Minister, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, said, as the world is facing many obstacles, ASEAN should continue attaching greater importance to maintaining the trading system, on the basis of rule of law, globalisation principle, multilateralism mechanism, liberalisation of trade and investment, and anti-protectionism.
He said, ASEAN should devote more attention to timely response to the new trends in global trade architecture and new issues, such as, rising oil price, high inflation, environment, climate change, and pandemics, among others.
“ASEAN should continue to work in unity to coordinate and intensify the establishment of global framework for international trade, which is transparent, non-discriminatory and serve the interest of all countries,” he said.
Hun Sen said, during the past 30 years of regional economic integration, ASEAN has been working in unity to establish the ASEAN region as a single market and production base by deepening trade and investment liberalisation in compliance with international law and the multilateral trading system.
“These efforts have made significant contribution to strengthening the development of ASEAN in all sectors,” he said.
Cambodian Minister of Commerce, Pan Sorasak said, as the chair of ASEAN in 2022, Cambodia would do its best to promote sustainable, inclusive and resilient economic growth in the post-pandemic era.
“Cambodia commits to work closely with ASEAN and development partners, to sustain ASEAN as a region of importance for global trade, investment and supply chains through, among others, generating maximum benefits from the existing free trade agreements, especially from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP),” he said.– NNN-AKP
