G-NEWS (DILI) — The European Union is providing technical support to the Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs and the Technical Working Group for the ASEAN accession, through the “Support to Regional Integration and Trade in Timor-Leste” project, implemented by the International Trade Centre.
This technical assistance, fully aligned with the IX Constitutional Government’s “Commitment to the Future”, is supporting the preparation of the initial market access offers for the negotiations of the main ASEAN economic agreements, namely the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), the ASEAN Trade in Services Agreement (ATISA) and the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA).
The successful conclusion of negotiations on these three agreements with all ASEAN Member States is a condition for Timor-Leste’s Full Membership to the Organization, which, as indicated by the Government, is considered as a “critical pillar of the Government’s strategy for bringing the country into the global economy”.
The support provided for these negotiations includes logistical support to the technical meetings and the recruitment of national highly qualified experts and international consultants, who are providing technical assistance, on a daily basis, to the national team, in the drafting of necessary technical documents and in the coordination between the different entities involved.
The Full Membership to ASEAN, which the Governments aims to achieve in 2025, implies challenges but also a unique opportunity to boost Foreign Direct Investment from the ASEAN region, which has a GDP of USD3.6 trillion and a total population of 650 million people.
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