ARMM joins HK Belt and Road Summit
- Source: http://www.manilatimes.net/armm-joins-hk-belt-road-summit/350045/
- Monday, September 11, 2017
- By JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL (TMT)
COTABATO CITY: The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) regional cabinet economic cluster joined the Belt and Road Summit, the second sponsored by the Hong Kong government on Monday.
This after the Department of Trade and Industry–Board of Investment Undersecretary and Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo announced that the ASEAN have formally agreed upon a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the sidelines of ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting in Manila. The signing ceremony of the FTA will be in November during the ASEAN Summit in Manila.
The event, with theme “From Vision to Action,” at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre was attended by Regional Board of Investments chairman Ishak Mastura, and the ARMM regional secretaries Don Loong, public works; Kahal Kedtag, natural resources; Alexander Alonto, agriculture; Myra Ali, science & technology; Jann Jakilan, labor & employment and Baintan Ampatuan, Regional Planning & Development Office executive director.
The Belt and Road Initiative of China or One Belt, One Road (OBOR), is China’s most ambitious geo-economic cooperation initiative that seeks to integrate the world economy more through building connectivity. Mastura said that ARMM has a comparative advantage in going through Hong Kong in facilitating investments and projects in ARMM under OBOR having both autonomous status.