Top > Economic Ministers’ Meetings on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit

Economic Ministers’ Meetings on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit

ASEAN-related summit and ministerial meetings were held in Hua Hin, Thailand on October 24-25, 2009. Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Masayuki Naoshima attended some of them.
Minister Naoshima co-chaired the Mekong-Japan Economic Ministers’ Inaugural Meeting on October 24, with Mrs. Porntiva Nakasai, Minister of Commerce of Thailand, and proposed the Mekong-Japan Economic and Industrial Cooperation Initiative, which was welcomed by participating countries. Mr. Naoshima also chaired the Sixth Economic & Trade Ministers’ Meeting among the People’s Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea on October 25 and issued a joint statement. In addition to these, Mr. Naoshima attended luncheons for ASEAN+3 and ASEAN+6 economic ministers and held meetings with other economic ministers.

Mekong-Japan Economic Ministers’ Inaugural Meeting

Mekong-Japan Economic Ministers’ Inaugural Meeting

Outline

This meeting was attended by economic ministers of Japan and the Mekong countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar). The Mekong sub-region is the "growth frontier of East Asia", where many Japanese companies are operating. The ministers discussed how to promote Mekong-Japan industrial cooperation toward Mekong-wide economic development and Japan’s economic growth.

Chair

• H.E. Masayuki Naoshima, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan
• H.E. Porntiva Nakasai, Minister of Commerce, Thailand

List of Ministers

• H.E. Cham Prasidh, Senior Minister and Minister of Commerce, Cambodia
• H.E. Nam Viyaketh, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR
• H.E. U Soe Tha, Minister for National Planning and Economic Development, Myanmar
• H.E. Cao Viet Sinh , Vice Minister of Planning and Investment, Viet Nam

Major outcomes

- Based on a business survey conducted by Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Minister Naoshima proposed the Mekong-Japan Economic and Industrial Cooperation Initiative. Other ministers endorsed this and agreed that the proposal be reported to the leaders of the countries at the forthcoming Mekong-Japan Summit to be held on November 6-7.

- Japan will cooperate with the Mekong countries on further development of hard-infrastructure, trade facilitation, enhancement of SMEs, and enhancement of service and new industrial sectors. It was agreed that government-business dialogue be established in order to foster government-business collaboration.

- This meeting will continue as a framework to implement this initiative.

Document released

The Sixth Economic & Trade Ministers’ Meeting among the People’s Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea

The Sixth Economic & Trade Ministers’ Meeting among the People’s Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea

Outline

The Economic & Trade Ministers’ Meeting among the People’s Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea is attended by the economic and trade ministers of the three countries to discuss the enhancement of economic cooperation and related issues. At the sixth meeting, discussions were held on the Trilateral Investment Agreement, the joint study on the trilateral FTA, and other frameworks to deepen trilateral economic exchange. At the end of the meeting, the ministers adopted a joint statement stipulating their common views on the discussions they had held.

Chair

• H.E. Masayuki Naoshima, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan

List of Ministers

• H.E. Chen Deming, Minister, Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Republic of China
• H.E. Kim Jong-hoon, Minister for Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Republic of Korea

Major outcomes

- Negotiations for the Trilateral Investment Agreement will be accelerated. The ministers aim to reach an agreement on key issues in early 2010.

- The ministers shared the view to task the senior government officials to start discussions and considerations at the earliest timing in 2010 on how to proceed with the joint study on the trilateral FTA among government officials, business and academic participants with a view to launching the first joint study meeting in the first half of 2010 expecting that be before the trilateral summit meeting.

- The ministers will work toward further promoting the transparency of the business environment by following up on the Action Agenda.

- The ministers determined to seek a conclusion of the WTO Doha Round in 2010.

Document released

Release Date

October 25, 2009

Division in charge,

- Asia and Pacific Division, Trade Policy Bureau
- Northeast Asia Division, Trade Policy Bureau