Thailand Officially Completed RCEP Approval Process

Xinhua news agency, Bangkok, November 1 (ren Qian, Wang Yaguang) - Thailand's deputy prime minister and Commerce Minister Zhu Lin said on the 1st that Thailand has deposited the approval document of regional comprehensive economic partnership agreement (RCEP) with the Secretary General of ASEAN, which means that Thailand has officially completed the RCEP approval process.

Zhu Lin said at a press conference held by the Ministry of Commerce on the same day that Thailand had deposited RCEP approval with ASEAN Secretary General on October 28.

The RCEP negotiation was initiated by 10 ASEAN countries in 2012, and six dialogue partners including Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand were invited to participate. The third RCEP leaders' meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand in November 2019 and issued a joint statement, announcing that 15 countries except India had concluded all text negotiations and substantially all market access negotiations. In November 2020, 15 RCEP Member States formally signed the agreement.

According to the agreement, RCEP can enter into force among six ASEAN Member States and three non ASEAN Member States after their ratification.

(source: Xinhua)