Hanoi (VNA) - A proposed free trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union is "one of the most challenging" ASEAN is negotiating, the ASEAN chief said.
ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said his 10-member group and the EU had agreed on a schedule for discussions, but were having problems making headway due to the complexity of the talks.
"They are exploring possibilities on various sectors with various approaches but because of the diversity on both sides, the two sides are working very, very hard trying to find some common ground to move forward," he said.
ASEAN on August 28 announced it has concluded free trade pacts with India, as well as with Australia and New Zealand. It has already inked market-opening agreements with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Surin said talks for a free trade accord with another key ASEAN trading partner, the United States, were still at a preliminary stage.
The ASEAN group includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-Enditem
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