KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22, 2006 (AFP) - Southeast Asian countries will sign an agreement to liberalise the nursing profession in December 2006 which officials said will be a major boost for the region's healthcare industry. "ASEAN has finalised the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on nursing and it is expected to be signed at the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Philippines in December 2006," the bloc said in a statement. Syed Amin AlJeffri, co-chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, hailed the pact which he said could see the region emerge as a "hub for the healthcare industry" and attract foreign investors to set up hospitals here. "It is a billion dollar industry. With ASEAN having a standard training programme for nursing, healthcare workers can seek employment within the region and elsewhere including the Middle East," he told AFP. The statement also said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was pursuing negotiations for similar agreements in the architectural, accountancy, surveying, medical practitioners, tourism and information technology. ASEAN has also identified other possible areas for future MRA negotiations including the dental, pharmacy and physiotherapy fields, it said. jsm/sls/lh