Asean to liberalise services by 2015

Trade ministers of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) have agreed to fully liberalise the group's services sector by 2015 as part of an overall plan to achieve an economic bloc by 2020.

"Underscoring the importance of trade in services liberalisation, the ministers agreed that 2015 shall be the end-date for the liberalisation of all services sectors," a joint statement issued after the Asean economic ministers' meeting here on Wednesday said.

Tourism and air travel have been identified as priority areas and all countries have agreed to bring in a faster pace of liberalisation in both these sector before 2007, it added.

Asean Secretary General Ong Keng Yong told reporters it might be possible to integrate the tourism sector next year.