Harmonising legal standards important for ASEAN’s integration: Shanmugam

SINGAPORE — Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said harmonising legal standards and strengthening legal frameworks are important components of ASEAN integration.

Speaking at a conference today (July 4), he stressed the regional group must continue its integration and community-building efforts in order to strengthen its resilience and competitiveness.

Some 160 participants from the region attended the conference.

One of the issues discussed was ASEAN’s external legal relations, as the regional group develops a range of agreements with other countries.

Mr Shanmugam said ASEAN’s senior law officials have also been working on various legal integration initiatives. These include harmonising the laws of various member states on arbitration and on the international sale of goods.

Mr Shanmugam said: “These efforts are important for ASEAN as the harmonisation of legal rules can help to remove uncertainty, reduce cost, generate greater business confidence, and ultimately advance ASEAN community-building goals.”

He added that a stronger, unified ASEAN will remain influential as it serves as a neutral platform for major powers to engage the region and each other in constructive ways.

He also lauded China for showing a serious intent to engage ASEAN.

Mr Shanmugam said: “China announced a whole slew of initiatives which sometimes doesn’t get as much attention as it should about putting in more money on platforms that would promote more physical integration and regional infrastructure development, working with ASEAN on maritime cooperation, working with ASEAN to fund the whole series of new projects, to upgrade the China-ASEAN FTA and so on.” CHANNEL NEWSASIA