Talks on pushing ahead the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal without the US reached an upbeat point, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said at the TPP Ministerial Meeting which opened in Da Nang on Thursday.

Negotiators meet in the city on the sidelines of the APEC 2017 Economic Leaders’ Week. (Photo: VNA)

Negotiators achieved consensus in some controversial issues, enabling the involved parties to reach the final commitment package, Anh said at the 2-day event which took place on the sidelines of the ongoing APEC 2017 Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW).

The trade pact was officially inked on 4 February 2016 amongst 12 countries, namely the US, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, and Viet Nam.  TPP is a new-generation free trade agreement with high level of commitment covering trade and non-trade issues.

However, after taking the office in January, 2017, US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw his country from the pact.  The remaining TPP countries are working towards a new deal that can move forward without the US.

After the latest negotiation round in Japan early this month, chief negotiators of the 11 TPP members expressed their hope to make progress at the APEC Week in Da Nang.

Earlier, at a press conference on APEC 2017 Economic Leaders’ Week on 2 November, Standing Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said that in the framework of APEC, cooperation and regional linkage mechanisms, including TPP, must be characterised by voluntarism, mutual benefit and mutual respect.

Viet Nam will join efforts with other TPP members to gain the most robust result, Son highlighted.

(Source: VNA/ DA NANG Today)