ASEAN-India free trade agreement depends on Thailand

September 3rd, 2009 Correction: Thailand-Free Vacations storyBANGKOK — In stories Sept. 1 and Sept. 2 about Thailand offering free vacations to Internet-savvy travelers, The Associated Press misspelled the contest's Web site address.

August 15th, 2009 BANGKOK - China and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Saturday signed an investment pact that provides guarantees against nationalisation, riots and disputes and is expected to boost investment. "The ASEAN-China Investment Agreement is expected to boost bilateral investments by 40 to 60 percent over the next two years," Thai Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai said after inking the pact with Chinese Commerce Minister Chen De-ming.

August 13th, 2009 BANGKOK - India on Thursday signed the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement in Goods following the meeting of the ASEAN-India Economic Ministers held in Bangkok. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma and ASEAN Economic Ministers signed the pact on trade in goods under the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

July 22nd, 2009 PHUKET - At the meeting of foreign ministers of the ASEAN and East Asia region here Wednesday, India reminded the world of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the recent Jakarta bombings, as it pressed for greater intelligence sharing and an early adoption of a UN convention on international terrorism to defeat the scourge. Imparting a fresh impetus to India's Look East policy, External Affairs Minister S.M.

July 22nd, 2009 PHUKET - Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Wednesday held talks here with his counterparts from 16 countries of the East Asia Summit (EAS), setting the stage for India's seventh summit with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in October.

July 22nd, 2009 PHUKET - India Wednesday made a strong pitch for a pan-Asian response to global challenges like financial meltdown and terrorism as it gets ready to sign a free trade area (FTA) agreement in goods at its next summit with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Thailand in October. "The steady diversification of our relationship with ASEAN countries is, therefore, a natural process and for us, a matter of deep satisfaction," India's External Affairs Minister S.M.

April 11th, 2009 PATTAYA - Thai officials decided to cancel a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Saturday after anti-government protesters broke into the summit venue at Pattaya, a resort town 100 km south of Bangkok. The Thai government said the summit between ASEAN members and six dialogue partners, including China, Japan and India, was postponed and would be held in about two months.

April 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Ahead of the ASEAN and an East Asia summit, India Thursday underlined the need for developing regional synergies to deal with the global financial crisis of 'unprecedented dimensions'. Commerce Minister Kamal Nath will represent India at the its summit meeting with 10-nation Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be held at Pattaya in Thailand Saturday.

March 27th, 2009 AGARTALA - Members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will intensify business with the eight northeastern states of India, diplomats said here Friday. 'Traders, businessmen and investors of ASEAN countries are interested in building close ties with the India's northeastern states to strengthen economic relations and promote trade and business,' Indonesian ambassador in India Andi Mohammad Ghalib told reporters.

March 27th, 2009 BRUSSELS - The European Parliament has expressed disappointment over the slow pace of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India, EuAsiaNews reported. In a report adopted during a plenary session of the block in the French city of Strasbourg Thursday, the members expressed disappointment with the slow pace of negotiations.

March 4th, 2009 CANBERRA - The Australian and the Indian government agreed Tuesday to resume the trade of Australian milk products for the first time since the suspension of importing goods in 2003. 'India's changing demographics, particularly its growing middle class and urbanization, is creating real potential for the trade growth and Australia is well placed to provide high-value dairy products,' Trade Minister Simon Crean said in a statement while commenting on the bilateral agreement.

February 28th, 2009 Cha-AM - Efforts to set up a human rights body for the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) got off to a bad start Saturday with Myanmar and Cambodia blocking their civil society representatives from attending the talks. The 14th ASEAN Summit being held in Cha-am, 130 km southwest of Bangkok, has been billed as the most 'inclusive' meeting of the 42-year-old South-East Asian grouping to date.

February 15th, 2009 JAKARTA - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will visit the headquarters of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) here Wednesday. This is the first visit by a US Secretary of State to the ASEAN Secretariat, a press release issued here Monday by the secretariat said.

January 24th, 2009 BANGKOK - A free trade agreement between India and South-east Asia is expected to be signed at the upcoming summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), state-run media reported Sunday. Director-general Apiradi Tantraporn of Thailand's Foreign Trade Department said the pact was planned for the 14th Asean Summit scheduled Feb 27-March 1 at Hua Hin beach resort, 130 km south-west of Bangkok, the Thai News Agency reported.

January 18th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - India is likely to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the 14th summit of the bloc slated for February in Thailand. Thailand's Nation newspaper said that India would submit a letter to the Thai Commerce Ministry later Monday, saying it will sign the long-awaited FTA with ASEAN during next month's summit.