BANGKOK, Nov. 3-- The 35th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the related summits kicked off here on Sunday with multilateralism and connectivity taking the center stage. Addressing the opening ceremony of the summit, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said to create a prosperous and sustainable region, "we should continue to work to conclude negations on RCEP (the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) within this year to stimulate economic growth as well as trade and investment." The Thai prime minister also called for continued support for multilateral trade system under the purview of the World Trade Organization as well as regional and sub-regional economic cooperation frameworks such as the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area so as to enhance the economic resilience of ASEAN and the region. |