Kelantan, Narathiwat to jointly develop businesses for AEC

NARATHIWAT, April 19 (TNA) - Malaysia's northern Kelantan State and Thailand's southernmost Narathiwat province have agreed to jointly launch a project,"Trade and Relationship of Narathiwat-Kelantan", aimed to boost both sides' economy in the lead-up to the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), set to be formed by 2015. Kelantan office's Director of Malaysia's Ministry of International Trade and Industry Azran Bin Hayi Deraman and Narathiwat Governor Apinan Suethanuwong, along with Thailand's Consul General to Kotabaru, Kelantan, Chakrit Karnjanasoon announced the project at a joint press conference held at the Royal Thai Consulate General in Kotabaru on Friday. Under the project, which is under a strategic framework on the joint development of Thai-Malaysian border areas, a first trade fair will be held from May 1-5, 2013 at the KB Mall in Kotabaru, in which more than 40 Thai OTOP shops will participate to showcase community-based products from the Thai deep South and Thai and Malaysian business operators will hold their business talks, apart from consulting services on food and drug and halal standards, as well as on cross-border cultures and traditions to be provided for the participating businesses and visitors. Besides, both sides have also agreed to set up a joint panel tasked with developing products, packaging and marketing of their goods to smoothen and sustain the cross-border cooperation. According to the Kelantan office's Director, Malaysian community-based goods to be showcased at the upcoming trade fair mostly include frozen food and industrial products, while handicrafts, food and beverage products, as well as cosmetics and apparels from Narathiwat are popular among people in Kelantan, expressing his hope that the joint pilot project should lead to the two sides' expanded economic cooperation after the AEC is established in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc. (TNA)