KUALA LUMPUR: Asean and the US have made significant progress in their bilateral relations, which is marked by the confirmed attendance of United States President Donald Trump at the upcoming 47th Asean Summit.
Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said both sides are expected to strengthen economic cooperation through the signing of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART).
He added that the ART would bring reciprocal benefits to Asean and the US as the agreement complements both sides, while further cementing Asean’s economic strength.
"We are now in the final stages of finalising the ART. I think the US is in discussions with a few Asean countries to finalise this. The hope and the aim are to have this agreement signed during this summit.
"For Asean, we want to show America, especially the Trump administration, that we engage everyone, including the US, and more importantly, that Asean can be a partner to all countries,” he told a pool interview themed "How Asean’s economic prosperity supports regional political stability” here on Wednesday (Oct 22).
Trump is expected to attend the 47th Asean Summit and related summits from Oct 26-28. – Bernama
