On 1 November 2019, H.E. Mrs. Busaya Mathelin, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, chaired the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Preparatory Meeting (Prep-SOM) to prepare for the 35^th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits. The Meeting discussed in particular issues related to the Political-Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural pillars of the ASEAN Community, as well as issues of cooperation that will be raised with Dialogue Partners, such as the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in November 2019 and the next ASEAN-US Cyber Policy Dialogue.

            The Meeting noted the ASEAN Secretariat’s report on the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between ASEAN and FIFA, which will take place on 2 November 2019.

            Participants appreciated Thailand for its constructive role and leadership during its ASEAN chairmanship. Viet Nam briefed the meeting on its preparations for the Handing Over Ceremony of ASEAN Chairmanship and the tentative programme of ASEAN Summits and ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Post Ministerial Conference in 2020, which will be hosted by Viet Nam.   

             In the afternoon of the same day, the Preparatory Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial Meeting deliberated on the finalization of  negotiations of the RCEP. This proposed free trade agreement comprises the ten ASEAN Member States and its six free trade agreement partners outside the region: China, Japan, India, Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. The 16 RCEP participating countries account for almost half of the world’s population, over a third of the global GDP, and over a quarter of world exports.

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