ASEAN and the world

The first webinar of the sixth ASEAN-OECD Good Regulatory Practices Network Meeting took place on August 11.

(CPV) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD31 million loan to expand and improve the road network in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Malaysia has allocated 62 millionRM(14.6 million USD) to farmers' organisations through the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package (PRIHATIN) to help its members affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Penang, Malaysia’s technology hub, is helping drive an economic recovery that could see the country bounce back faster than any of its peers in Southeast Asia, said experts.

The Republic of Korea (RoK) said on August 10 that it has completed negotiations with Vietnam to export paprika, a type of bell pepper, to the Southeast Asian country.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his confidence that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

(CPV) - Some 80,000 children have been displaced by the Beirut explosions, according to UNICEF estimates, with families affected in desperate need of support.

The Lao Government has decided to tighten COVID-19 prevention measures in the face of transmission risks.

Learning of the August 4 explosion in Beirut, the Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on August 9 issued a statement on the incident, at a proposal of Vietnam.

(CPV) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an additional USD2.5 million grant to Tajikistan from its Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) to further support the government’s emergency response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Embassies of ASEAN member states in Venezuela held a ceremony in Caracas on August 7 to celebrate the 53rd founding anniversary of the regional grouping, with Venezuelan Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for Asia, the Middle East and Oceania Ruben Molina in attendance.

Thailand's economic growth is likely to fall 7.8 percent, the biggest projected drop in the region, due to the impacts of COVID-19 on the tourism and service sectors, according to the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO).

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced on August 7 that he will set up a new political party.

A panel under Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on August 7 approved proposals for a return to normalcy in the country by allowing schools, sports stadiums, public transport and meals on flights.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers have issued a statement on the importance of maintaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia. Following is the full text of the statement:

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s Secretariat held a virtual ceremony on August 8 to mark the bloc’s 53rd founding anniversary under the theme “ASEAN 53: A Cohesive Journey to Recovery”.

Hundreds of Cambodian athletes and officials gathered at the Morodok Techo National Stadium on August 7 afternoon to start the 1,000-day countdown to the 2023 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 32).

Complementary cooperation is one of ASEAN's strengths in forging cooperation with any other powers, and will provide ASEAN with advantage in the era of Indo-Pacific competition and post-COVID-19 pandemic order, said a Malaysian expert.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has said ASEAN is facing increasingly intense challenges, on the occasion of the 53rd founding anniversary of the bloc.

The CPTPP Commission’s third meeting was held on August 6 and ended with the approval of a ministerial joint statement reiterating the members’ commitment to back trade liberalization, and multilateral trade.

Singapore and Australia have signed a digital economy agreement that will open up economic opportunities for both countries during a virtual ceremony on August 6.

Economic and trade ministers of signatories to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) met online on August 5 to discuss how best to intensify cooperation and prepare a plan of action to boost post-pandemic economic recovery.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has emphasised the solidarity of ASEAN countries in solving disputes in the East Sea.

The Japanese Government plans to promote a platform to member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for digitalizing all trade-related documents, Kyodo News cited sources close to the matter as reporting on August 5.

The 53-year history of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has proved that a united grouping with close linkages and combined national and regional interests will be able to maintain its central role.

A ceremony took place in suburban Moscow on August 4 to install a memorial stele dedicated to the late Sen. Lieut. Gen Anatoly Ivanovich Khiupenen, head of the Russian military expert delegation to Vietnam.

The Republic of Korea’s fashion firms based in Vietnam are expected to benefit from the free trade agreement between the Southeast Asian country and the European Union (EVFTA), which came into effect this month.

(CPV) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a USD1.5 billion loan to support the Government of Thailand’s response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reiterated US support for Southeast Asian states upholding their sovereign rights and interests in the East Sea under international law.

Indonesia is aiming to set up travel corridors with China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to help recover business activities which are seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.