Ministers told to accelerate efforts towards RCEP deal

Kuala Lumpur

MINISTERS and officials negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal have been told to step up their efforts to get an agreement ready to be inked in 2016, after missing the 2015 deadline.

In a joint statement issued at the 27th Asean Summit on Sunday, the 10 Asean leaders said: "We instruct our ministers and negotiators to further intensify their efforts, and w…