Chile held a business seminar on Wednesday to strengthen its trade ties with the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Organized by the state-run trade promotion organization, ProChile, and the Chamber of Commerce for Asia Pacific, the seminar aimed to have access to updated information about ASEAN countries and to discuss the benefits, challenges and opportunities for Chilean exporters and importers.

Rodrigo Contreras, representative of the Economic International Affairs Direction, said that Chile has set its target on ASEAN countries, mainly Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

"We have entered the vast Asian markets and we have had trade agreements with China, South Korea, Japan and India, so currently our priority is given to trade negotiations with ASEAN countries," Contreras said.

He said the "ASEAN countries represent big trade potential for Chile." Currently the trade exchange between Chile and ASEAN countries has surpassed US$2 billion, Contreras added.

Diplomats of Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam attended the seminar.

(Xinhua News Agency December 24, 2009)