06/05/2011 (Bernama) - Asean-EU bilateral free trade talks (FTA) will enter specific discussions phase related to goods and services stated in the agreement, says International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

He said the negotiations, to start in Brussels next week, would centre around proposed tariff and non-tariff reduction to zero tariff on 90 per cent of goods besides commodities like palm oil, intellectual properties and government procurements.

Mustapa, who expressed happiness on the progress of the trade talks thus far, was confident that the free trade agreement would be signed as scheduled by the middle of next year.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak after attending the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Brussels on October last year announced that the FTA would be finalised in 18 months by June next year.

"We've about another year to go to end the talks. Currently, our negotiators are engaged in detailed discussions.

"So far, we have held two rounds of talks and this year, we plan to meet twice. Next week, our 31-member negotiating team will go to Brussels to negotiate with their EU counterparts in several working groups.

"In July, another round of talks will be held in Kuala Lumpur," he told Malaysian journalists after meeting EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht on the sidelines of the Asean-EU Trade Summit here Thursday.

In the two rounds of talks held previously, both sides focused their discussions on understanding trade policies such as on government procurements, intellectual properties and services, he added.