Indonesia calls for stronger RCEP cooperation, utilization

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Deputy Trade Minister Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, serving as alternate ASEAN co-chair, led the fifth RCEP ministerial meeting, which stressed stronger cooperation among participating countries.

Roro called for greater use of RCEP so its benefits reach more businesses, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Indonesia urged RCEP members to intensify outreach to raise awareness and encourage businesses to utilize the agreement’s available benefits, Roro said in a statement issued here Wednesday.

Stronger cooperation among RCEP participants is increasingly important to address shared challenges and strengthen regional economic resilience, Roro said.

RCEP should be fully utilized to deepen regional economic integration, strengthen trade and investment ties, and preserve an open, free, fair and rules-based trading system.

Ministers also emphasized stronger RCEP implementation, deeper trade and investment, and greater economic resilience amid shifts in the global economic landscape.

They noted progress on RCEP’s accession agenda and approved the RCEP Joint Committee’s recommendation to establish an ad hoc Accession Working Group for Bangladesh, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Sri Lanka.

The move reaffirmed RCEP’s open and inclusive nature while ensuring accession procedures comply with the agreement’s terms and established processes.

Ministers also noted progress toward establishing a permanent RCEP Secretariat in Indonesia and urged the Joint Committee to continue discussions on its draft Terms of Reference and other preparations.

RCEP covers 10 ASEAN members—Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—and five partners: Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. Negotiations began in 2012 and the agreement was signed in 2020.

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Translator: Maria Cicilia, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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