KL seeks no bilateral deals

Mon, 12 Mar 2001 | Source: AP

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP): Malaysia's trade minister said Saturday that her country has no intention of pursuing a bilateral free trade agreement with any nation.

Rafidah Aziz said that Malaysia is already committed to the free trade area being created by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to which Malaysia belongs.

"We are not interested in having bilateral FTAs with anybody," Rafidah was quoted by the national news agency Bernama as saying. "We are already with AFTA."

Neighboring Singapore, also an ASEAN member, has already concluded a free trade agreement with New Zealand and is pursuing similar pacts with the United States, Australia, Mexico and Japan.

ASEAN also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

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