"India has significant outstanding issues that remain unsolved, but all RCEP countries will work together to resolve these issues in a mutually satisfactory way." The RCEP trade deal, which has been under negotiation for the past six years, saw a major setback when India, one of the RCEP's 16 members, walked out at the last minute of the talks at this month's 35th Asean Summit in Bangkok. "The RCEP will be the largest trade deal Thailand has ever joined," she said. The RCEP will also bolster trade between Thailand and Japan, and Thailand and India (if India decides to re-enter the agreement). "Including India in the RCEP is quite important for Asean nations, as India is a large trading partner, especially for Malaysia and Indonesia," Mr Taketani said.

Source: Bangkok Post November 21, 2019 23:25 UTC