In an effort to boost the two-way flow of investment between Asia and Europe, Thailand has drafted the Asia-Europe Meeting action program.
It includes providing more information to businesspeople and establishing an experts' group to address government policies and regulations restricting foreign investment. The draft ASEM Investment Promotion Action Plan, or IPAP as it is commonly called by ASEM officials, was obtained Sept. 17 by The Japan Times ahead of its submission to the ASEM economic ministers' meeting in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture on Sept. 27 and 28.
Trade and investment are expected to top the agenda at the meeting, although the recent crisis in Southeast Asian currency and stock markets is also likely to be discussed. After it is finalized by the ASEM economic ministers this month, IPAP will be presented to a second summit of top ASEM leaders scheduled for April in London.