CHIANG RAI, THAILAND - South-east Asian countries engaged in talks on a major China-backed trade pact expect to finalise it this year, the Finance Minister of Thailand, which is the current chair of the 10-nation Asean grouping, said on Friday .
"I've heard that we will finalise by November this year," he told a news conference, referring to the agreement. "Hopefully, we can conclude by the end of the year," added the grouping's secretary general, Mr Lim Jock Hoi. In a joint statement, the grouping said it was committed to international trade and investment as key engines of growth and development.
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