Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has assured the European Union (EU) that the stalled negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between Asean and the EU will be pursued collectively.

"Asean has agreed to negotiate the FTA with the EU on a collective basis. We are still on this track," he said during a dialogue after he officially launched the Malaysia Europe Forum today.

Najib said Asean had taken a stand that concerns over the human rights issue in Burma, a member of the regional grouping, should not be an obstacle towards the completion of the EU-Asean FTA talks.

"There are early encouraging signs that Myanmar (Burma) is committed towards democracy, as can be seen from the release of political detainees and the government's open attitude towards pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi," he said.

Earlier in his speech, Najib said Malaysia will play a leading role in moving the stalled EU-Asean FTA negotiations.

Consistent on the Green Agenda

During the dialogue, the prime minister also urged Malaysian exporters to comply with standards set by the EU.

"The EU requirements may sound unreasonable, but exporters must comply if they want to gain wider market access and recognition. We have to move towards globalisation," he said.

Towards this end, Malaysia has also liberalised its services sector to draw more foreign investors to the country.

On the Green Agenda of the EU, Najib said Malaysia was also committed towards this and would ensure that it complied with the EU's goals and targets, but added that there should be an equitable solution in this respect.

"Our (Malaysia's) position has been consistent," he said.

- Bernama