ISLAMABAD
\nChairman of the Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) Committee Islamabad Ambassador Nguyen Tien Phong said that ASEAN is a symbol of economic development for the whole world including Pakistan.
\nIn an interview with state run media outlet, he said that the ASEAN has established excellent economic and trade relations with the whole world, which is likely to improve further in the future.
\nThe 55th anniversary of this month will be made with the determination that ASEAN will play its full role for economic prosperity, trade integration to promote peace and harmony with the other regions of the world, Chairman Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEANs) Committee Islamabad (ACI) and Ambassador of Vietnam to Pakistan, Nguyen Tien Phong said.
\nThe Ambassador said that today the economic volume of the ASEAN countries has exceeded $3.3 trillion, which is likely to improve further in the near future. He said that Pakistan\u2019s trade volume with ASEAN countries is $11 billion, which is much less than its current potential.
\nThe Ambassador said that ASEAN\u2019s economic growth could further accelerate to 5.0% in 2022. The ASEAN\u2019s total merchandise trade reached USD 3.3 trillion in 2021, of which 21.3% was within the region, while services trade reached USD 743 billion with intra-ASEAN comprising 11.7%, he said.
\nMeanwhile, inflows of foreign direct investments to ASEAN reached USD 174.1 billion in 2021, 12.0% of which was among ASEAN Member States, he said.
\nASEAN were optimistic that macroeconomic fundamentals remain robust and committed to continue working together to ensure the region\u2019s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and as well as strengthening its region\u2019s collective resilience and competitiveness in the long run, he said.
\nThe ASEAN were pleased to note the significant recovery in the region\u2019s economy, which expanded by 3.0% in 2021 compared to a 3.2% contraction in 2020. In the same month, the foundation of ASEAN was laid on August 8, 1967, he said.
\nThe Ambassador said that regional integration of ASEAN countries is not only essential for the economic prosperity of the ASEAN region but also important for global economic linkages and connectivity.
\nHe said economic and trade liberalization, multilateralism, credibility, global connectivity, economic stability, youth empowerment, maritime security, political stability, and regional to regional connectivity are part of ASEAN\u2019s regional economic vision.
\nHe said that ASEAN reaffirmed its belief that regionalism and multilateralism are important principles and frameworks of cooperation, and that their strength and value lie in their inclusivity, rules-based nature, and emphasis on mutual benefit and respect.
\nThe ASEAN underscored the importance of maintaining ASEAN\u2019s unity and Centrality in its community-building efforts and engagement with external partners, in promoting peace, security and stability as well as in enhancing regional resilience in response to common and emerging challenges, he said.
\nThe ASEAN countries also shown its shared commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and stability in the region, as well as to the peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
\nASEAN underscored the importance of seizing the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) with the COVID-19 pandemic having accentuated the urgency for digital transformation.
\nReplying to a question on ASEAN and Pakistan Relations, he said that Pakistan was accorded the status of sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN at the 26th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on 23 July 1993.
\nHe said the inaugural meeting of ASEAN-Pakistan Joint Sectoral Dialogue Relations was convened on 5-7 November 1997 in Islamabad to launch the partnership.
\nThe inaugural meeting agreed that ASEAN-Pakistan Sectoral Dialogue Partnership would initially cover cooperation in trade, industry, investment, environment, science and technology, drugs and narcotics, tourism and human resources development.
\nThe ASEAN-Pakistan Sectoral Dialogue Relations was institutionalised through the convening of the First Meeting of the ASEAN-Pakistan Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee (AP JSCC) on 5 February 1999 in Bali.
\nAmbassador Nguyen Tien Phong said that Pakistan acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia on 2 July 2004 in Jakarta. On the same day Pakistan was also admitted as the 24th participant of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
\nASEAN and Pakistan signed the Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat Terrorism at the sidelines of the 12th ARF on 29 July 2005 in Vientiane. He said that in trade, ASEAN and Pakistan have undertaken a Joint Feasibility Study for an ASEAN-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to enhance and expand the overall ASEAN-Pakistan economic engagement.
\nThe Ambassador was of the view that regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in which ASEAN plays an important role has huge potential for ASEAN and Pakistan economic, trade, investment to reach a new high level with the shift in paradigm from geo-politics to geo-economic in Pakistan.
\nHe said that RCEP came into force on 1 Jan 2022, is a free trade agreement among the Asia-Pacific nations of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, SouthKorea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
\nThe 15 member countries account for about 30% of the world\u2019s population (2.2 billion people) and 30% of global GDP ($29.7 trillion), making it the largest trade bloc in history.
\nThe RCEP includes a mix of high-, middle-, and low-income countries. It is expected to eliminate about 90% of the tariffs on imports between its signatories within 20 years of coming into force, and establish common rules for e-commerce, trade, and intellectual property), he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Chairman of the Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) Committee Islamabad Ambassador Nguyen Tien Phong said that ASEAN is a symbol of economic development for the whole world including Pakistan. In an interview with state run media outlet, he said that the ASEAN has established excellent economic and trade relations with the whole […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":280176,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-280156","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n