Vietnam prepared for AFTA

Vietnam prepared for AFTA

MANILA (AFP): Senior officials of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) are working for would-be member nation
Vietnam's swift inclusion into the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA),
the Philippine Foreign Department said yesterday.

It said in a statement that Hanoi's inclusion in AFTA, as well
as the South China Sea situation, nuclear testing in the Pacific
and the crisis in Bosnia, was discussed by senior officials of
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and
Thailand ahead of an annual ministerial meeting in Bandar Seri
Begawan in Brunei.

Foreign Undersecretary Rodolfo Severino was quoted in the
statement as saying that "the Philippines strongly backed
Vietnam's early membership in ASEAN and we are working out the
mechanics for Vietnam's inclusion in AFTA which should be
acceptable to all parties concerned."

Although Vietnam will join ASEAN, its full inclusion in AFTA,
a scheme to create a free trade area among member countries by
2000, is still uncertain since its economy is not at the same
level as the rest of ASEAN.