The Assistant Minister for Trade, Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, represented Australia at the Inaugural Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) Ministers’ Meeting held in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 17 September in the sidelines of the 54th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting.
RCEP Ministers welcomed the Agreement’s entry into force on 1 January 2022 and looked forward to its ratification by all signatory States. Australia praised RCEP for cementing ASEAN at the centre of the regional economic architecture and providing a foundation for economic cooperation activities to expand our region’s trade and investment.
RCEP Ministers issued a Joint Media Statement welcoming the work of the RCEP Joint Committee and expressing hope that RCEP will contribute to the region’s post-pandemic recovery and more resilient regional supply chains.
Joint Media Statement of the Inaugural RCEP Ministers’ Meeting