Germany calls for EU to conclude free trade agreements with ASEAN members

Name: Germany calls for EU to conclude free trade agreements with ASEAN members
Uploaded: 2024-03-14T04:45:45.940Z
Duration: 3 min 12 s
Channel: Europe in Focus
Description: Germany says it would like to see the European Union conclude free trade agreements with ASEAN members. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made the remark during a news conference with the visiting Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Mr Scholz adds that Germany also supports Thailand's bid to become a member of the OECD. CNA's Trent Murray has more from Berlin.

Europe in Focus

2 Video Views·Mar 14, 2024

Germany says it would like to see the European Union conclude free trade agreements with ASEAN members. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made the remark during a news conference with the visiting Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Mr Scholz adds that Germany also supports Thailand's bid to become a member of the OECD. CNA's Trent Murray has more from Berlin.

Prime Minister Seto was given full military honours as he arrived here in the German capital to hold talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. We know the two leaders sat down to discuss a number of issues on the agenda including trade and investment, regional security within the Indo-Pacific and cooperation on climate change but it was comments made by the Thai Prime Minister at his previous stop in Paris which certainly caught the attention of many in the German press pool. He said he would like to see Thailand and the EU wrap up free trade negotiations by the end of next year. It certainly is an ambitious target given the negotiations have been underway since all the way back in 2013. He was asked in that press conference whether any further delay could push Bangkok further towards Beijing in terms of its trading relationship. Let's have a listen. I believe that our team is capable and though the 2025 end of the year target is fairly aggressive but we feel that we can is still within our reach. As for diverted our attention more towards China I think it has nothing to do with whether or not we are able to complete the FTA between the Thai and European community by the end of 2025. If it's not then it might be early 2026 so it doesn't matter. We are going to be in a hurry to sign FTA with various other countries as well, India included. We know foreign policy is high on the agenda for the Thai Prime Minister. Germany is now the 14th country he has visited since he took office six months ago but this was also a visit very important to the Germans. We have seen a flurry of leaders from ASEAN countries visit the German capital this week not just from the Thai side but also President Marcos of the Philippines yesterday and earlier in the week Prime Minister Anwar of Malaysia. German Chancellor Scholz said it was an important signal that Berlin was looking to the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen relations. And while the Asia-Pacific has been the priority for the early to mid part of this week in Berlin Chancellor Scholz will look closer to home at the end of the week. He's invited French President Emmanuel Macron here as well as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. We understand the three leaders will discuss the very volatile situation in Ukraine. Kyiv continues to say it is running out of ammunition in order to try and mount its defence against Russia and given the political deadlock in Washington Ukraine is saying European countries like Germany, France and Poland need to do more to help them on the battlefield. Trent Murray, CNA, Berlin.