Thailand hopes to resume FTA talks with S. Korea before next Asean Summit
Bernama, Malaysia
Thailand Hopes To Resume FTA Talks With S. Korea Before Next Asean Summit
By D. Arul Rajoo
26 August 2006
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 (Bernama) — Thailand, the sole Asean country yet to sign the grouping’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South Korea, hopes to resume negotiations with Seoul before the Asean Summit in Cebu in December.
A Thai official said however South Korea had not indicated the timing to restart a new round of talk to resolve their disagreement over agriculture products.
Rice was the main cause of discord as Korea has been protective of its rice industry.
"Both sides are busy with the AEM here, and before that with the WTO (World Trade Organisation) talks in Geneva. Maybe we will have some time after this," he told Bernama on the sidelines of the Asean Economic Ministers meeting.
Korea signed a FTA with nine Asean members in the Philippines, December last year but the world’s largest rice exporter, Thailand stayed away due to differences over agriculture products.
According to the original accord, the Asean six, comprising Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand were to start cutting tariffs from last month.
The four least-developed members — Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the world’s second largest rice exporter Vietnam — will join at a later date.
Besides the Koreans, Asean is due to conclude FTA with China later this year while negotiations with Japan, Australia, New Zealand and India were still ongoing.
