The Apec Ministerial Meeting (AMM) on Thursday agreed to push forward the FTA-Apec initiative, in which all members will cooperate more closely to achieve economic growth and eradicate all limitations, according to Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit, who is the co-chair of the 33rd AMM.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Mr Jurin said the ministerial meeting among members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) resulted in a productive outcome.
The AMM agreed to establish an FTA-Apec trade and investment framework, to further drive economic growth.
The meeting also reached a consensus to adopt the Bangkok Goal Declaration on the BCG (Bio-Circular-Green) economy, which focuses on mechanisms to achieve the United Nations (UN) sustainable development by the year 2030.
The meeting agreed to expand trade and investment, improve supply chain, support multilateral trade agreements, remove any obstacles from World Trade Organization's (WTO) negotiations, and promote women and vulnerable groups to play key roles on trade and investment.
Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the meeting was concerned about food and oil security due to regional conflicts, hampering efforts to achieve an inclusive economic recovery.
It also discussed travel safety during the Covid-19 pandemic, ensuring that the pandemic would not cause restrictions to cross-border mobility, Mr Vijavat said.
The meeting agreed to enhance digital connectivity while underlining the importance of digital transformation to support the economy, he added.
