ASEAN and the world

Remittances sent home by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) hit a new high in 2015 with USD28.5 billion as of the end of December, according to the Central Bank of the Philippines (BSP).

(CPV) - The President of ADB, Takehiko Nakao, met with Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia on February and discussed areas of future cooperation. At the meeting, Mr. Nakao announced that ADB will boost lending to the country from USD740 million annually from 2010 to 2014, to as much as USD2 billion a year, or USD10 billion over the next 5 years, using its expanded lending capacity.

Malaysia and Singapore inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to intensify cooperation in the fields of information and communications on February 19th.

A slowdown in China’s economic growth is having a strong impact on Singapore as the country’s export turnover to China, in January, recorded the sharpest decrease in the past 7 years.

Thailand’s Appeals Court on February 17th dropped the case against former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his former deputy Suthep Thaugsuban, brought against them for the deadly military crackdown of red-shirt protesters in 2010.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong praised the importance of the recent US- ASEAN Summit, which was held in Sunnylands, California from February 15th-17th.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has urged the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to comply with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and resume the Six Party Talks over the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

A total of 25.7 million international visitors came to Malaysia in 2015, down 6.3 percent from the previous year, according to the country’s Tourism Promotion Board (Malaysia Tourism).

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has accepted the resignation of foreign minister Albert del Rosario.

Myanmar’s newly elected Union Parliament convenes the first session in Nay Pyi Taw on February 8th.

Hungary on February 5th expressed its strong interest to forge closer ties with the Southeast Asian region and said it recognised the immense potential of the ASEAN Community.

The Indonesian Health Ministry issued a travel advisory for citizens wishing to travel to nations affected by Zika virus.

(CPV) - The Australian Government’s tough border protection measures to stop illegal people smuggling and ensure the sovereignty of Australia’s borders remain in full force.

(CPV) - UNICEF is launching a USD2.8 billion appeal to reach 43 million children in humanitarian emergencies worldwide on January 26th 2016. For the first time ever, the largest portion of the appeal – 25 per cent – is going towards educating children in emergencies.

(CPV) - Sean O’ Sullivan, Director General of ADB’s Central and West Asia Department, concluded a 2-day visit to the Kyrgyz Republic, where he held talks with key government officials on ADB’s current operations in the country and priority support in the current challenging economic situation.

(CPV) - ADB and the Government of India signed an USD80 million loan agreement on January 28th 2016 to continue improving infrastructure in two northeastern state capital cities.

The first draft of the new constitution of Thailand was unveiled by the country’s Constitution Drafting Committee on January 29th.

(CPV) - The three grants are funded by ADB’s Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR), which over the past 16 years has supported 42 projects in Mongolia dealing with poverty alleviation, livelihoods, and the environment.

US Secretary of State John Kerry held talks with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on January 25th as part of his official visit to the Southeast Asian nation.

Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Myanmar’s National League for Democracy (NLD), met with the country’s Defence Services Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing in Nay Pyi Taw on January 25th to discussed matters relating to the post-election transition period.

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Phnom Penh on January 25th to start his two-day visit to Cambodia to increase bilateral cooperation.

(CPV) - The Government of Canada recently appointed Ms Marie-Louise Hannan as Canada’s new Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

(CPV) - “We are pleased to launch the facility’s operations and boost our support to our developing member countries in their efforts to attract private sector participation in infrastructure,” said Ryuichi Kaga, Head of ADB’s Office of Public–Private Partnerships. “Improving the quality and delivery of infrastructure projects will create investment opportunities for the private sector, a key part

Thailand’s Public Health Ministry announced on January 24th the second confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) detected in a 71-year-old man from Oman.

Seven people with suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) have been detained, Malaysian police said on January 24th after Kuala Lumpur raised security alert following terrorist attacks in Jakarta, Indonesia on January 14th.

(CPV) - ADB approved a record USD2.6 billion of new financing and investments for the private sector in 2015, a 37% increase from a year earlier and 62% higher than in 2013.

Foreign affairs officials of Singapore and the US affirmed their strong bilateral ties and pledged to strengthen their strategic partnership, during talks in Singapore on January 22nd.

US Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel will travel to Singapore from January 21st – 23rd to attend the fourth annual US – Singapore Strategic Partnership Dialogue.

The upgrade of a memorial to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers began in Cambodia’s Kampong Chhnang province on January 21st.