ASEAN and the world

Trade ministers from 21 member economies of t he Asia – Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum gathered together at a meeting in Arequipa, Peru on May 17th to discuss the preparations for the formation of a free trade area in the region.

The United States and Cuba held their third Bilateral Commission Meeting in Havana on May 16th, following the successful visit of President Obama to Havana in March 2016.

Newly-elected Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte announced that he will reserve some ministerial positions in his new Cabinet for members of the Philippines Communist Party (CPP).

The Republic of Korea (RoK) and Indonesia have agreed to intensify bilateral links across infrastructure, trade, investment, maritime affairs and energy.

(CPV) - ADB and development partners have signed a collaboration agreement to help strengthen country safeguard systems in Asia and the Pacific.

(CPV) - According to the official website of the ASEAN - Russia summit, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc would visit Russia from May 16th - 20th.

(CPV) - The forthcoming visit of US President Obama to Vietnam from May 23rd to 25th has been reported on by a number of international press agencies.

The Russia-ASEAN summit scheduled to take place in Russia’s city of Sochi for May 19th-20th is expected to help strengthen the bilateral comprehensive relations and elevate ties to a new height, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on May 16th.

ASEAN labour ministers and their counterparts from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields within their remit during a meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on May 16th.

(CPV) - The journey rather than the destination is often hailed as the best part of travel but in many parts of Asia, traffic jams, air pollution, crowded services, or poor transport links can make commuting over short and long distances less than a pleasure.

The 42nd Group of Seven (G7) Summit will take place at the Shima Kanko Hotel in Kaishiko island, Shima, Mie Prefecture, Japan, on May 26th - 27th.

The Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs said it does not rule out the possibility that some of its officials are involved in a human trafficking and passport forgery syndicate busted at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 1 and 2.

(CPV) - On May 4th, Siemens Healthcare unveiled its new brand name Siemens Healthineers. The new brand underlines Siemens Healthcare’s pioneering spirit and its engineering expertise in the healthcare industry.

The 12th ASEAN Senior Labour Officials’ Meeting (SLOM) was held in Vientiane, Laos within the framework of the 24th ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting (ALMM) from May 11th-12th, seeking to secure sustainable employment for workers in the bloc.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo will pay official visits to the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Russia from May 16th to 20th, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said at a press conference in Jakarta on May 12th.

The EU will double funding for ASEAN to fulfill its development targets, visiting EU Ambassador to ASEAN Francisco Fontan Pardo said at a press conference in Hanoi on May 12th.

Guided missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence of the US Navy travelled within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of Chu Thap (Fiery Cross) Reef in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago.

(CPV) - ADB confirmed its assistance program for Mongolia in 2016 at USD287 million, comprising concessional loans from its own and market-raised sources, and grants.

Unofficial counts showed that Rodrigo Duterte, Mayor of the Philippine southern city of Davao, has won the country’s presidential election.

Thailand plans to attract visitors from Europe and the Middle East during the low season between May and October, said Tanesuan Petsuwan, an official from Tourism Authority of Thailand who is in charge of these regions.

Polling stations across the Philippines opened at 6 AM on May 9th for millions of Filipinos to cast their votes selecting a new President and other congressional and local positions.

Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have agreed to double their two-way trade value by 2020.

Scholars at a recent workshop at Yale University, the US state of Connecticut, have adduced evidence to prove that China’s sovereignty claims in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) are not true.

Indonesia and Timor Leste on May 6 signed a memorandum of understanding ( MoU ) on cooperation in developing human resources for the industrial sector in the two countries.

Over 1 million voters in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on May 7th went to 1,754 polling stations to elect 82 seats in the State Legislative Assembly.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the signing of a 25-year agreement worth AUD2.25 billion (USD1.66 billion) with Singapore to expand military bases in Queensland.

Environmental security in the East Sea was the main theme of a seminar held in Washington DC on May 3rd by East West Center, a US-based institution for public diplomacy in the Asia Pacific, with the participation of more than 30 scholars and journalists.

A Malaysian helicopter carrying a number of government officials has gone missing while travelling from Betong to Kuching Sarawak.

Gov. John Kasich of Ohio has dropped out of the Republican presidential race, leaving Donald Trump's path clear to capture the Republican nomination for the November 8th election.

The 69th annual Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to be held from May 11th - 22nd.