Union Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations,  ASEAN Economic Minister (AEM) of Myanmar, Dr. Kan Zaw participated in the 56^th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

           Union Minister attended the 38^th ASEAN Free Trade Area Council Meeting in the morning of September 16, 2024. At the Meeting, the Ministers discussed the matters concerned with rules of origin (ROO), trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, standards and technology cooperation, and custom integration under the implementation of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) among ASEAN Member States. In addition, the Ministers provided guidance on the updated ATIGA Negotiation and tasked the Trade Negotiation Committee and their subsidiaries bodies to conclude the negotiation in 2025.

In the afternoon, the Union Minister also joined the 27^th ASEAN Investment Area Council Meeting together with other ASEAN Economic Ministers. During the meeting, the Ministers exchanged views on the development of the ASEAN Sustainable Investment Guidelines, the ASEAN Investment Promotion Action Plan, the publication of the ASEAN Investment Report, arrangement of the ASEAN Investment Forum, and investment cooperation activities in the ASEAN region.

During the 27^th ASEAN Investment Area Council Meeting, the Union Minister signed the 5^th Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA). The protocol includes the consolidated revised ACIA text along with its Headnote and Annexes, incorporating all amendments from the first Amendment Protocol to the current draft Fifth Protocol, and the document would be uploaded to the ASEAN website upon completion of the signing of the 5th Protocol, to facilitate public access.

In the evening, the Union Minister attended the ASEAN Economic Ministers and ASEAN Business Advisory Council Consultations. ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) briefed the meeting on the progress of the ABAC’s 2024 activities at the consultations. The Ministers provided guidance for strengthening private sector engagement in future economic cooperation and endorsed the recommendations on mechanism for Public-Private Partnership. 

           Union Minister joined the 56^th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting together with ASEAN Economic Ministers on 17^th September 2024. At the meeting, the Ministers noted the progress of the Priority Economic Deliverables (PED) under Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024, the ASEAN Declaration on Supply Chain Connectivity, and the recommendations for the upgrade of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Intellectual Property Cooperation. Moreover, the Ministers endorsed the ASEAN SME Policy Index 2024 which is a primary reference document to benchmark MSME policies across ASEAN, and the Model Framework for an Inclusive Business Accreditation System in ASEAN.

           In the afternoon session, the Ministers noted the progress of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) Negotiations and tasked the negotiators to expedite their works in order to conclude the negotiations in 2025. Ministers also exchanged views on the implementation of initiatives on sustainability under the ASEAN Economic Community including the ASEAN Strategy for Carbon Neutrality, the Framework for Circular Economy for the AEC and the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework. The Ministers noted the progress of the development of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Strategic Schedule 2026-2030 and tasked the High-Level Task Force on Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) to complete the AEC Strategic Schedule in a timely manner.

           Union Minister attended the ASEAN Economic Ministers and Director General of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Interface Meeting in the morning of September 18, 2024. The meeting exchanged views on matters such as digital innovation and transformation, unleashing the potential for transformative, and  people-centered innovation in ASEAN region  toward 2045 and accelerating the activities of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among ASEAN-WIPO.

           In the afternoon, the 16^th Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, Vietnam (CLMV) Economic Ministers’ Meeting was held and Union Minister participated with the Economic Ministers of Cambodia, Lao, and Vietnam in the meeting. At the meeting, the Ministers noted the implementation of CLMV Action Plan 2023-2024 and endorsed the CLMV Action Plan 2025-2026 as a living document. The Ministers tasked the CLMV Senior Economic Officials to monitor the implementation of the activities under the action plan. Moreover, the Ministers discussed conducting the socialisation workshop scheduled in 2024 which will discuss the development of guidelines on the Implementation Plan for the Framework for CLMV Development 2020-2030.

H.E. Malaithong Kommasith, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR, chaired the Meetings which were attended by ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM), ASEAN Free Trade Area Council Ministers, ASEAN Investment Area Council Ministers, Senior Economic Officials (SEOM), ASEAN Business Advisory Council Members, Secretary General of ASEAN Secretariat and representatives. The meetings were joined by H.E. Aung Ko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Dr. Marlar Myo Nyunt, Myanmar SEOM Lead, Director General of Foreign Economic Relations Department and responsible persons together with the Union Minister.

Union Minister will attend the meetings of the ASEAN Economic Ministers with the EU Trade Commissioner, Russia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Hong Kong (China), United States, India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, EAS, Japan, China, Korea, Plus Three Economic Ministers, and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministers which will be held from 19 to 22 September 2024.