ASEAN, Japan extend economic cooperation for another 5 years

BANGKOK, April 9 (TNA) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan agreed to extend their trade and investment cooperation for five more years. Malee Choklumlerd, director-general of Thailand’s International Trade Promotion Department, said the council of the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) recently held a meeting in Japan’s Tokyo. A five-year extension of the agreement on establishing the AJC was among topics, including operational plans for 2017, during the discussion, she added. Ms Malee said, this year, the 36-year-old intergovernmental organization will strengthen its collaboration with the Japan Institution of Design Promotion to boost ASEAN competitiveness of creative industries. Also, it will continue promoting investment in ASEAN members while the personnel development and public relations will be underlined as part of its three-year project to foster sustainability in the region’s cultural tourism. As for Thailand, the International Trade Promotion Department is introducing two new projects for trade promotion – database improvements for effective business matching in Japan and the creation of Thai food public relations in Japanese cafeterias in June, the director-general said. (TNA)