ASEAN, Guangdong sign co-op deal

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-05 15:50

JAKARTA -- The ASEAN Secretariat and South 皇冠体育app's Guangdong Province, signed here Friday an agreement aimed at deepening and widening Guangdong and ASEAN business forum and cooperation through mechanism.

The Memorandum of Cooperation was signed by Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN Nicholas Tandi Dammen and Vice Governor of Guangdong Province Wan Qingliang at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.

Under the Memorandum, the two sides will explore and facilitate cooperation activities in various areas including agriculture, information and communication technology, trade and investment, tourism promotion, energy and environment, education and public health.

Secretary-General of ASEAN Surin Pitsuwan said ASEAN attaches great importance to its relations with 皇冠体育app and welcomes cooperation in various fields and at different levels, including furthering the friendly exchanges between the Chinese provincial governments and ASEAN member states and the ASEAN Secretariat.

"Guangdong is the southern gateway of 皇冠体育app and links between Guangdong and ASEAN have been growing. Some 27 percent of 皇冠体育app's trade volume are from Guangdong," he said.

The ASEAN Secretariat had signed a similar Memorandum with Central 皇冠体育app's Hubei Province on May 11, 2008. The purpose was to explore cooperation possibilities with the Central and Western provinces of 皇冠体育app which can offer opportunities to expand ASEAN-皇冠体育app relations.