ASEAN and the world

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on August 4th pledged to provide nearly USD300 million in new security funding for Southeast Asia.

The 25th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) took place in Singapore on August 4th with the participation of foreign ministers from 26 countries and the European Union (EU)’s representative.

Japan has pledged to help enhance infrastructure connectivity among five Mekong sub-regional countries, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on July 31st appointed Jens Wandel, born in 1962, as Special Adviser on Reforms.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (RoK) on July 31st held a meeting of General-level officers at Peace House, the truce village of Panmunjom to take steps to ease the tensions on the Peninsula.

The 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM 51) ended on August 2nd in Singapore with a Joint Communiqué urging the bloc to strengthen its internal strength through increasing intra-bloc trade and investment and regional economic connectivity.

US Department of State has announced Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would visit Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia from August 1st - 5th to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues with the three countries.

Both the paper and digital format of the complete draft of the Cuban proposed new Cuban Constitution has been published for the first time.

Myanmar will start granting visa-free entry to tourists from Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) in October to attract more visitors from Asia, according to Japan's Kyodo News.

Indonesian security forces held an anti-terrorism drill on August 1st as preparations for the 18th Asian Games, which will take place from August 18th to September 2nd.

Canadian Lt. Gen. Wayne D. Eyre on July 30th took office as deputy commander of the United Nations Command (UNC) in the Republic of Korea (RoK), Canada’s Department of National Defence said.

Leaders of Turkey, Russia, Germany and France will meet in Istanbul on September 7th, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

A delegation led by Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), on July 29th visited people who were affected by the collapse of the Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam in Sanamxay district of Laos’ Attapeu province.

(CPV) - ADB's Board of Directors has approved an assistance package totaling more than USD357 million for a project to develop two power lines in support of Bangladesh’s national target of electricity for all by 2021.

(CPV) - ADB's Board of Directors has approved a USD40.5 million grant to help farmers and agribusinesses develop sustainable and climate-smart agriculture value chains in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).

Zimbabwe’s first presidential and parliamentary elections since the end of Robert Mugabe’s long rule took place on July 30th.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is visiting Timor-Leste, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia from July 29th to August 7th to reaffirm her country’s commitment to remaining a leading partner to its regional neighbours in Southeast Asia, according to her media release on July 29th.

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) won some 4.2 million out of more than 6.8 million votes in the country’s general election on July 29th, or 61.7 percent, according to the party.

The White House has announced it will put off a proposed second summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin until 2019.

Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of Russian Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, on July 26th said she planned to visit the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (RoK) this autumn.

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) athletes visited Seoul for joint training ahead of Asian Games in August.

(CPV) - ADB reaffirmed its commitment to support the rights of people with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific by signing the Charter for Change and announcing nine specific commitments to support disability-inclusive development in the region at the Global Disability Summit (GDS) in London on July 24th.

Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are expected to discuss a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in Singapore next week, said the Malaysian Foreign Minister.

As of midday on July 27th, search teams had rescued 72 families with 413 people from flooded areas caused by the collapse of the Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam in Attapeu province’s Sanamxay district, in Laos.

Political parties of Cambodia on July 27th ended their three-week campaigns for the country’s general election slated on July 29th during which about 8.3 million voters are expected to cast their ballots to choose the 125-seat National Assembly.

Over the past years, the maintenance of peace, political stability and security has created favourable conditions for Cambodia to continue obtaining new achievements in socio-economic development and in the improvement of the people’s living standards.

The 10th BRICS summit officially kicked off on July 25th at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Trade Ministry on July 25th announced it would start negotiations with members of the Pacific Alliance (PA) for associate membership in the Latin American trade bloc.

(CPV) - ADB's Board of Directors has approved a new long-term corporate strategy, Strategy 2030, that sets out the institution’s broad vision and strategic response to the evolving needs of Asia and the Pacific.

The Republic of Korea (RoK) will soon establish a new specialised committee on improving the country’s economic and diplomatic relations with India and 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Presidential Office said on July 25th.