RCEP 4th Joint Committee Held in Indonesia... Agreement on Secretariat Establishment and Operation Plan Underway

Discussion on Implementation Issues to Accelerate RCEP Utilization on the 18th-19th

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 18th that the 4th Joint Committee of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will be held on the 18th and 19th in Surabaya, Indonesia.

The Joint Committee will be attended by approximately 80 delegates from the 15 member countries, including the 10 ASEAN countries, South Korea, China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as the ASEAN Secretariat (RCEP Interim Secretariat). The meeting will be co-hosted by Indonesia and Australia, the joint chair countries for 2023.

The member countries will welcome the expansion of intra-regional trade, investment, and business opportunities following the ratification and entry into force of RCEP by Indonesia (January 2) and the Philippines (June 2) this year. They will also seek to finalize agreements on key agenda items, such as the establishment and operation of the RCEP Secretariat, which have been discussed since the 1st Joint Committee.

Additionally, the progress of implementation committees under the Joint Committee and the commencement of accession procedures for countries that have officially expressed their intention to join RCEP, such as Sri Lanka, will be reviewed.

The key agenda items discussed at this Joint Committee will be finally adopted by consensus among the trade ministers of the 15 member countries at the RCEP Ministerial Meeting, held during the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting on August 22 in Semarang, Indonesia.

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