German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle advocated free trade deals with south-east Asia on Tuesday, calling the region a "growth engine" during a meeting with a regional official, according to dpa. Because so many south-east Asian countries are key to global economic growth, Westerwelle said the European Union should speed up trade deals with the region. His comments came during a visit by Surin Pitsuwan, secretary general of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). The EU has been in direct negotiations with ASEAN about a trade deal. But that has so far been unsuccessful, so the bloc is now negotiating with individual nations. Nevertheless, Westerwelle said a comprehensive deal remained "a long-term goal."
