India pushes for concluding balanced RCEP deal that includes services pact
2018-01-23 09:52:05 source：Livemint
January 23, 2018
New Delhi -- India on Monday insisted on concluding a “balanced and collectively satisfactory” Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement that includes a services pact, even as trade ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping urged India to help conclude a deal in 2018.
To mark 25 years of dialogue partnership, India has invited leaders of all 10 Asean countries to New Delhi for a commemorative summit on 25 January. On 26 January, all 10 Asean leaders will be chief guests at India’s 69th Republic Day celebrations—an unprecedented break with tradition for India, which usually invites the head of government of a single country as the Republic Day chief guest each year.
RCEP is a grouping of 10 members from the Asean grouping, plus India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The grouping envisages regional economic integration, leading to the creation of the largest regional trading bloc in the world, accounting for nearly 45% of the world’s population with a combined gross domestic product of $21.3 trillion.
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