Brussels, 30/08/2010 (Agence Europe) - Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, speaking on the sidelines of the 42nd meeting of economy ministers from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) - Brunei, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - in Danang on 27 August, said he was optimistic about negotiations (Ed: individual, not block to block) between the EU and its South-East Asian partners. The EU wants, inter alia, to conclude negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement with Singapore, opened in March of this year (see EUROPE 10090) by the end of 2011, and to begin negotiations with other ASEAN countries “in the coming months”. De Gucht hopes, in particular, to open formal negotiations with Vietnam before the end of the year. The commissioner sees no reason to suspect that this should not be the case. (E.H./transl.rt)