ASEAN and the world

US President Barack Obama began his official visit to Laos on September 6th, which is the first to the Southeast Asian country made by a US president in history.

Legal and political impacts of The Hague tribunal’s ruling on the East Sea dispute on Indonesia and the US were discussed at an open forum in the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta on September 6th.

Issues related to the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the building of the Code of Conduct (COC) will be submitted to the upcoming ASEAN-China Summit in Vientiane, according to Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung.

The Philippines’ Department of Health confirmed on September 5th that a woman from Iloilo city tested positive for the Zika virus, the sixth case recorded in the country.

The 11th Summit of the Group of 20 (G20) themed “Toward an innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy” has closed in Hangzhou, China, for the first time.

Singapore has confirmed 27 new cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection, bringing the total there to 242.

The second Eastern Economic Forum opened in the Russian city of Vladivostok on September 2nd, attracting nearly 2,500 delegates from Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the US and Vietnam.

The 2016 Kompas travel fairs opened in Jakarta on September 2nd with an aim of promoting Indonesia’s tourism activities and offering attractive tourism packages to domestic and foreign destinations.

The Kremlin has announced President Vladimir Putin will visit Japan in December.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged China and the Philippines to abide by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)’s ruling on the East Sea issue, saying that military acts are not a solution to the dispute.

A seminar titled “ASEAN: Peace and Unity after the PCA Ruling” was organised following the ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague, the Netherlands, on the case the Philippines brought against China’s claims in the East Sea.

(CPV) - ADB has approved a USD31.37 million grant to prepare the Salang Corridor rehabilitation project to improve the efficiency and safety of movement of goods and people in Afghanistan and across Central Asia.

The 9th International Military Music Festival, titled “Spasskaya Tower”, has taken place at Red Square in Moscow on August 27th.

On August 29th, the US Secretary of State John Kerry began a trip to New Delhi to attend the second India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, the State Department announced.

(CPV) - Water security in Asia and Pacific has progressed overall in the past 5 years, but major challenges remain, including overexploited groundwater, demand from rising populations, and climate variability, according to a new report from ADB.

Myanmar holds a unique position in India's neighbourhood, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a joint press conference after his meeting with visiting Myanmar President Htin Kyaw on August 29th.

(CPV) - ADB is expanding a nationwide program to improve public service delivery through a USD35 million loan to support the development of efficient and accountable subnational administrations (SNAs).

An exhibition titled “All colors of Asia” has taken place at the State Darwin Museum in Russia’s capital Moscow.

Philippine Health Minister Rosell-Ubial said her country wishes to learn from Cuba’s health care system and boost bilateral cooperation relationship in the field during her trip to Cuba.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) of Singapore has confirmed 41 cases of locally-transmitted Zika, all of whom were residents or workers in the Aljunied Crescent and Sims Drive area.

(CPV) - With the sudden increase of arrivals, hundreds more refugee and migrant children are becoming stranded in Greece with critical needs such as education and protection, says UNICEF.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has announced that he would run for a second presidential term in 2018 if the Egyptian people want him to.

The 7th ASEAN Regional Quiz was organized in Vientiane, Laos on August 24th.

Domestic and foreign direct investment in Indonesia is expected to grow more slowly in 2016, an official has said.

The Thai Ministry of Commerce has decided to carry out a number of measures to improve the country’s weakening exports in recent time, targeting Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV).

An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale has struck the town of Amatrice in the central Italy, killing at least 159 people and leaving many trapped beneath the rubble of buildings that collapsed while they slept.

The Foreign Ministers of China, Japan and RoK on August 24th officially gathered in Tokyo, Japan.

(CPV) - Years of violence by Boko Haram in Africa’s Lake Chad basin have led to a worsening humanitarian crisis that has displaced 1.4 million children and left at least one million still trapped in hard-to-reach areas, UNICEF said in a report released on August 25th 2016.

(CPV) - Paolo Spantigati, who assumed office on August 25th 2016 as the new Country Director of ADB’s Timor-Leste Resident Mission (TLRM) in Dili, Timor-Leste, said he will encourage private sector development to drive inclusive economic growth in Timor-Leste in his new role.

On August 23rd, US President Barack Obama visited the area of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which was hit by the August 12th flood.