VIENTIANE, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Participants in the 30th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Retreat in northern Laos' Luang Prabang province have pledged to strengthen cooperation and connectivity to bolster trade and the overall economy of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

Representatives from the member states of the ASEAN discussed priority economic deliverables for this year and exchanged views on the regional and global economic outlook, Lao News Agency on Monday quoted Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith as saying at a press conference after the meeting on March 9.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

At the meeting, the ASEAN economic ministers also discussed some of the key initiatives under the ASEAN Economic Community, such as the negotiations on the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and the negotiations for the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), said Malaythong.

"Against the backdrop of global economic uncertainties, we reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to strengthening the fundamentals of the ASEAN single market through the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement. As the backbone of regional trade, the upgraded version of this agreement will take trade relations between ASEAN member states to the next level," he added.

The ministers emphasized the need for the upgraded ATIGA to facilitate and promote sustainable development and reaffirmed their commitment to the conclusion of most of the chapters in the ATIGA upgrade negotiations within this year.

Ministers also discussed the progress of implementation of the AEC Blueprint 2025 and the development of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

ASEAN economic ministers adopted at the meeting ASEAN Services Facilitation Framework, which is a set of principles and action plans to achieve ASEAN services sector integration and to improve the competitiveness of the services sector.

"We hope that the framework will improve the policy and regulatory environment that enables the seamless provision of services within the regional market," said Malaythong.

Laos introduced 14 priority economic deliverables in the areas of agriculture, tourism, energy, intellectual property, small and medium-sized enterprises, and digital transformation, as well as initiatives to strengthen supply chains and narrow the development gap among ASEAN member states.

ASEAN economic ministers expressed their support for the deliverables proposed by Laos and the bloc is unanimously committed to the timely implementation of these deliverables.

On behalf of Laos as the host of the meeting, Malaythong called on ASEAN economic ministers to work more closely together, seek ways to resolve challenges and set an appropriate direction for future development, especially the implementation of related plans.

He urged to strongly promote development for the benefit of the ASEAN Economic Community and to strengthen the bloc's unity and trading power. Enditem

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