Laos briefs readiness for AEC connectivity
Laos briefs readiness for AEC connectivity
The Lao government still needs to do more in relation to important arrangements for trade, investment and services ahead of the country assuming the chairmanship of Asean in 2016.
Officials from the relevant government sectors and businesses met at a workshop in Vientiane yesterday to discuss various important issues regarding to the Asean Economic Community integration.
The one and a half day workshop, which ends today, will be a platform for policy makers from various relevant ministries to discuss initiatives and priorities for the Asean economic pillar before it will be concluded in the agenda of the meeting during the period of Laos' chairmanship of Asean.
The workshop was co-chaired by Acting Director General of the Foreign Trade Policy Department under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Dr Laohoua Cheuching and Deputy Secretary General of Asean for the Asean Economic Community Dr Lim Hong Hin.
At the workshop, Dr Laohoua highlighted the past consultation meetings that reflected the importance of preparation of various priorities ahead of the Asean chairmanship by Laos.
“Laos has to build several pieces of work in terms of important priorities as the legacy for the country while assuming the chairmanship of Asean next year,” he said.
Dr Laohoua, who is a senior Asean economic official for Laos, also noted that four different initiatives have been discussed and brainstormed at various meetings including the development of small and medium enterprises, tourism development, connectivity and trade facilitation imp rovement.
The Asean member states are seeking to transform Asean into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour, and freer flow of capital but many challenges and gaps remain an issue for many Asean countries.
Meanwhile Dr Lim also said there were a lot of things to do ahead of the formal establishment of the AEC this year and beyond 2015.
“Now it is not yet a destination, it is still a journey that we will have to work together continuing the development of necessary initiatives under the AEC Blueprint and roadmap,” he said.
