Page 512 - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
P. 512

(i)    the  work  of  all  committees  and  subsidiary  bodies                                        DONE in a single original in the English language and SIGNED
                                            established  pursuant  to  Chapter  18  (Institutional                                         on the Fifteenth Day of November in the Year of Two Thousand
                                            Provisions); and                                                                               and  Twenty  at  Bandar  Seri  Begawan,  Brunei  Darussalam;
                                                                                                                                           Phnom Penh,  Cambodia;  Bogor,  Indonesia;  Vientiane, Lao PDR;
                                     (ii)   relevant developments in international fora.
                                                                                                                                           Kuala  Lumpur,  Malaysia;  Nay  Pyi  Taw,  Myanmar;  Manila,
                                                                                                                                           Philippines;  Singapore;  Bangkok,  Thailand;  Ha  Noi,  Viet  Nam;
                       Article 20.9: Accession                                                                                             Canberra,  Australia;  Beijing,  China;  Tokyo,  Japan;  Seoul,
                                                                                                                                           Republic of Korea; and Auckland, New Zealand.
                       1.     This  Agreement  shall  be  open  for  accession  by  any  State  or
                              separate customs territory 18 months after the date of entry into
                              force of this Agreement.   Such accession shall be subject to the
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                              consent of the Parties and any terms or conditions that may be
                              agreed between the Parties and the State or separate customs
                              territory.


                       2.     A State or separate customs territory may seek to accede to this
                              Agreement by submitting a request in writing to the Depositary.

                       3.     The  instrument  of  accession  shall  be  deposited  with  the
                              Depositary.

                       4.     A State or separate customs territory shall become a Party to this
                              Agreement subject to the terms and conditions agreed pursuant
                              to paragraph 1, either:

                              (a)    60 days after the date on which it deposits an instrument
                                     of accession with the Depositary indicating it accepts such
                                     terms and conditions; or

                              (b)    on  the  date  on  which  all  Parties  have  notified  the
                                     Depositary  that  they  have  completed  their  respective
                                     applicable legal procedures,

                              whichever is later.

                       5.     In addition to this Article, the accession process shall be carried
                              out  in  accordance  with  the  procedures  for  accession  to  be
                              adopted by the RCEP Joint Committee.



                       IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  undersigned,  being  duly  authorised  by
                       their respective Governments, have signed this Agreement.


                        Notwithstanding this sentence, this Agreement shall be open for accession by India,
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                       as an original negotiating State, from the date of entry into force of this Agreement.



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