EFTA and ASEAN a step closer to a Joint Declaration on Cooperation

EFTA and ASEAN delegates

Mr Patrick Ritter, Minister-Counsellor, Deputy Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein to EFTA, acted as the EFTA spokesperson, while Ms Sophary Soeng, Economic Attaché, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Cambodia to ASEAN, headed the ASEAN delegation.

Over the past ten years, trade between the Member States of ASEAN and EFTA has increased significantly, more than tripling in value. Further to the Free Trade Agreements concluded with Singapore in 2002, the Philippines in 2016 and Indonesia in 2018, EFTA has engaged with several ASEAN States by starting preferential trade negotiations with Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

In 2018, EFTA and ASEAN initiated their dialogue on the establishment of closer ties through an exchange of letters between the EFTA chair and the ASEAN Secretary-General at the time.

Work on a JDC was launched in April 2021 with good progress through written exchanges so far.