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7.5 ASEAN + 3
7.5.1 The Future of ASEAN + 3 Economic Cooperation
96. The Meeting, recalling the mandate of the Ministers for SEOM to come up with a
structured view on the AEM Plus 3 process, re-affirmed the importance of moving forward ASEAN Plus 3 economic cooperation beyond reviewing and approving cooperation projects.
The Meeting, however, also recalled the previous decision of the Ministers regarding the completion of the ASEAN’s FTA with China, Korea and Japan before the proposal for the
East Asia Free Trade EAFTA could be considered. 97.
Given the current situation, the Meeting agreed to recommend to the forthcoming 8
th
AEM Plus 3 Consultations moving forward ASEAN Plus 3 engagement should first focus on the improvement of project management, as agreed at SEOM 236. The expansion of the
agenda of SEOMAEM Plus 3 consultations shall await the outcome of the Track 2 study being undertaken by the Expert Group on the East Asia Free Trade Area EAFTA.
7.5.2 Preparations for the 12
th
SEOM+3 Consultations, 25 August 2005, Bangkok, Thailand
98. The Meeting endorsed the provisional agenda for the 12
th
SEOM+3 Consultations,
which appears as ANNEX 42. 7.6 ASEAN-India
7.6.1 ASEAN-India Free Trade Area AIFTA
99. Malaysia, the ASEAN Co-chair for the ASEAN-India Trade Negotiating Committee
AITNC, briefed the Meeting on the latest developments on the FTA negotiations between ASEAN and India, particularly on the ROO. The Meeting noted two papers circulated on the
ROO: i Malaysia’s paper: ASEAN’s Proposal for the ASEAN-India Rules of Origin for FTA in Goods; and ii India’s Concept Paper: India’s Approach on Preferential Rules of Origin,
which appear as ANNEXES 43 and 44, respectively. 100. The Meeting considered India’s concept paper and expressed its observation that
India has not moved on its position as it continues to push for the 40+CTH as the general rule for the AIFTA. Noting however that India has cited the agreement reached at the
SEOM-India Consultations in Makati City for ASEAN and India to exchange concept papers on the ROO, the Meeting agreed that ASEAN should also transmit a paper reiterating its
original position. Notwithstanding this counter-action, the Meeting agreed on the importance of moving forward the AIFTA negotiations which has already been stalled for several
months. Recalling that the TF-ROO exercise on the matrix of Member Countries’ indicative position on the ROO for all tariff lines shall be completed sometime in October, the Meeting
urged the Working Group on ROO to meet sometime in November so that a report could be submitted to the Leaders in Kuala Lumpur.
101. The Meeting also recalled that according to the Framework Agreement, parties should start implementing the AIFTA beginning 1 January 2006. Recognising the
impossibility of achieving this milestone, the Meeting agreed to raise to the Ministers the possibility of coming up with a rider to the Framework Agreement that would extend the
completion date for negotiating the TIG agreement and the implementation date by, tentatively, one year. The Meeting agreed to raise these issues at the forthcoming SEOM-
India Consultations.
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7.6.2 Preparations for the 7
