ASEAN+6 set to launch world's biggest free-trade market

By Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation/Asia News Network
Monday, Oct 22, 2012
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Asia/Story/A1Story20121022-378928.html

ASEAN and six Asian leaders will this November announce the official establishment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which will make it the biggest free-trade market on the globe.
"The leaders should come up with a formal statement to form the RCEP. The negotiations are expected to start early next year in order to wrap up the pact by 2015, just in time for the full implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community," Somkiat Triratpan, deputy director-general of the Trade Negotiations Department, said last week.