Thailand Hosts 25th ATPF CEO Meeting

BANGKOK, April 19 (TNA) - Thailand hosts the 25th Asian Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF) CEO Meeting here from April 18-20, aimed at promoting economic cooperation among Asian nations and developing Asia into a global economic hub. Thai Deputy Commerce Minister Poom Sarapol said Thursday that the participating Asian nations, including Myanmar which attends the forum for the first time as an observer, will be jointly developing Asia into a center of the world economy, as many countries has high potential and the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including Thailand, are forming the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. At the three-day fourm, Poom told journalists, the participating countries are working out guidelines for their cooperation and collective trade promotion; while the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) functions as the secretariat for the regional cooperation. According to the minister, Thailand's plans to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), covering online businesses and green economy, are also part of the forum's agenda. The deputy commerce minister acknowledged that Thailand also plans to take the opportunity to woo support for its bid to host the World Expo in 2020 and to explore trade and investment opportunities, as well as sources of raw materials in Myanmar. The combined trade value in Asia has been rising since 2009, at some 190 billion US dollars in 2009, 257 billion US dollars in 2010 and 313 billion US dollars in 2011, and the total Asian export value reached 149 billion US dollars or 4.52 trillion baht last year, a 22 per cent year-on-year surge; while the total import value stood at 163 billion US dollars or 4.99 trillion baht, a 8.3 per cent year-on-year increase. (TNA)