ASEAN and the world

Cambodia hopes to welcome 7.5-8 million foreign visitors by 2020, the Cambodia Daily quoted Secretary of State for Tourism Pak Sokhom as saying on May 4th.

Financial ministers and central bank governors from ASEAN member nations and Japan, China and the Republic of Korea (RoK) have agreed to enhance a financial safety network for the region to prevent possible crises.

(CPV) - In their "Frankfurt Declaration", ADB and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) agreed to join forces for progress on climate action and technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced the winners of the 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards during a grand gala held at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in Los Angeles.

Growth in Asia-Pacific economies is expected to decelerate slightly to about 5.3 percent during 2016–17, according to the latest Regional Economic Outlook for Asia and Pacific, published on May 3rd, 2016.

Japan has considered ASEAN an important partner, pledging to become the bloc’s irreplaceable partner in efforts of salvaging “diversification” in politics, economy, socio-culture and strengthening “connectivity” in the region.

Foreign ministers and military chiefs from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines will gather in Indonesia on May 5th to discuss increased maritime security amid rising piracy in the region.

Laos set out its goal of achieving an average growth rate of 7.5 percent in its 8th five-year 2016-2020 Plan for Social-Economic Development.

(CPV) - The plan details how the Government of Papua New Guinea will expand the grid to rural communities around PNG Power’s 34 provincial grids. Preparation of the plan was supported by ADB as part of its contribution to the PNG Government’s National Electrification Rollout Plan.

Thailand topped the world in terms of rice exports in the first quarter of 2016, the Thai Rice Exporters’ Association (TREA) announced on April 29th.

(CPV) - The projects being financed include wind power projects in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, with combined capacity of 476 megawatts (MW), and photovoltaic solar power projects in Telangana and Punjab with capacity of 100 MW.

Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan called for enhanced cooperation between Southeast Asian nations and Japan to maintain rule of law at sea amid rising Chinese assertiveness, reported Japanese news agency Kyodo.

(CPV) - ADB and the Government of the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) have signed a USD200,000 grant agreement to help the country tackle the effects of a severe drought.

An Indonesian transport official has said ships travelling from the country's Borneo Island to the Philippines need to have an armed escort as piracy in the waters is escalating.

(CPV) - ADB has approved an additional loan of over USD19.4 million to scale up a project that is upgrading urban infrastructure and management services in fast growing aimag centers and border towns in Southeast Gobi.

(CPV) - Demographic change in Asia and the Pacific is happening at a rate the world has never seen. An explosion in the working age population and a fall in birth rates that took a century in Europe are happening here in just 30 years.

An explosion in the working age population and a fall in birth rates - changes that are expected to take a century in Europe and North America - could occur here in just 30 years.

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue hosted the first meeting of the project on a network of cultural cities in the framework of the Forum of East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) on April 29th, drawing nearly 100 representatives from 17 countries.

Several members of the US Congress on April 27th urged the Obama administration to help strengthen marine security in the South China Sea (known as Bien Dong or East Sea in Vietnam) via increasing naval operations close to disputed islands in those waters.

(CPV) - ADB has signed the loan agreement with BRAC Bank under the USD30 million loan facility approved by ADB’s Board, which will be used to finance the construction and upgrade of ready-made garment factories in Bangladesh that have taken steps to meet globally agreed standards for structural improvements and worker rights and safety.

(CPV) - ADB has approved a loan of USD60 million to help water service providers outside Metro Manila improve water and sanitation assets needed to cut water-borne diseases by boosting access to safe water and reducing environmental pollution.

(CPV) - President Emomali Rahmon inaugurated the new 500-kilovolt switchyard built with the support of ADB at the Nurek hydropower plant on April 27th 2016.

Malacca is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Malaysia and in 2008, UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage site.

Raul Castro was re-elected as the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) at the Party’s seventh national congress in Havana.

A number of high-ranking leaders of Laos were elected during the ongoing first session of the 8th National Assembly (NA) on the morning of April 20th.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo is on a trip to four European countries, namely Germany , the United Kingdom , Belgium , and the Netherlands , from April 18th to 22nd, with the aim to strengthen his trade and economic cooperation with these countries, reported Jakarta Post.

Laos and the Philippines will work together to find measures to boost mutually beneficial ties in trade, investment, education and aviation services.

Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on April 18th said the new government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) will begin to build new good things for a change starting from the New Year.

Three Southeast Asian countries – Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia are among the next target of attacks by the self-claimed Islamic State (IS), according to local newspapers.

ASEAN Foreign Ministers on April 17th issued a statement on the recent earthquakes in some countries worldwide.