Chairperson, I thank the Minister for a very comprehensive and informative response. Following on from his reply, it is clear that this is obviously a very important initiative in order to further regional economic integration and then, hopefully, for u, and for other members of our community, to reap the benefits of this regional strength.
However, the economic integration has been discussed at regional forums for many years now. I wonder if the Minister could indicate whether there are any timeframes attached to the finalisation and full implementation of this Tripartite FTA, given that he did mention that the negotiation process would start early next year.