The Government assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to chair and coordinate with relevant ministries and offices to carry out the protocol. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is tasked with conducting external procedures as regulated.

The ACIA was inked on February 26, 2009 and became effective on March 29, 2012 with the aim of promoting the building of a free, open and transparent investment area in ASEAN to achieve the goal of establishing the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.

It focuses on Investment Liberalisation, Investment Protection, Investment Facilitation and Investment Promotion.

Since 2012, ASEAN member states have signed four protocols amending the agreements.

The fourth protocol aims at promoting regional integration and attracting more foreign investors./.VNA

Mitigating crisis crucial for intra-ASEAN trade activities

Along with the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, ASEAN as chaired by Vietnam is calling for more intra-investment and foreign direct investment into the region, in an aim to make the bloc more affluent,