ASEAN countries interested in free trade deal with EEU

17:27, 25 May 2016

MINSK. KAZINFORM - A number of countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are interested in concluding a free trade deal with the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), Belarusian First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Mikhnevich said when answering questions from members of the House of Representatives on 25 May, BelTA has learned.

"The signing of the agreement [on free trade] with Vietnam was followed by similar proposals from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia. Cambodia even sent us an official request for information on how to become an EEU member," Alexander Mikhnevich pointed out.
The official said that the countries of the EEU are starting to consider if free trade agreements with other ASEAN countries would benefit them. "We will decide on further steps as soon as we get an opinion from expert groups," Alexander Mikhnevich added.
On 25 May, the House of Representatives of Belarus ratified the free trade agreement between the EEU and Vietnam. Once the document comes into force, some 60% of customs duties will be removed. Almost 90% of goods will be exempt from customs charges by 2025, after all the transitional periods come to an end, Kazinform refers to eng.belta.by.

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