Government
International relations
ASEAN integration concerns aired at grassroots event
Hundreds gathered on 16 November in Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park for the fifth Cambodian Grassroots People’s Assembly, where they called for issues ranging from deforestation to democracy to be addressed ahead of ASEAN integration. About 700 people from the Cambodian Cross Sector Network, a group made up ...
Mekong nations launch Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Framework
The Mekong River has always been an important trade route between Western China and Southeast Asia flowing through six different countries. The six foreign ministers met for the first time to frame a cooperation mechanism, agreeing to launch significant projects to enhance water resources, public health, ...
Vietnamese Deputy PM highlights importance of Mekong countries' partnership
Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has highlighted that co-operation among upper and lower Mekong countries for the sustainable management and use of the Mekong River should be the top priority for the Mekong-Lancang partnership. Speaking at the first Mekong-Lancang Foreign Ministers’ ...
Vietnam plans Hanoi-Vientiane highway project: report
Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has started a feasibility study on a 760-kilometer highway to connect Hanoi and Vientiane, local media reported on 11 November. The study conducted by Transport Engineering Design Inc. will help decide whether the route should pass through Nghe An or Ha Tinh, two central ...
Myanmar's election good for ASEAN: Surin
The November 8 election in Myanmar marked a good start for the country as well as Asean, said Surin Pitsuwan, former secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Keep reading ...
Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to ease visa rules for Chinese
Three of China’s neighbors in Southeast Asia are further easing their visa regimes to attract more Chinese tourists. Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance announced move to lower Chinese visitors’ visa-application fees in a new step to boost its tourism. Starting from 23 November, Chinese tourists’ visa fees ...
Myanmar polls a success: international observers
Despite criticism of Myanmar’s “flawed” constitutional framework, international observers on 10 November gave a largely positive appraisal of the elections, commending a well-run election day while highlighting major issues such as an opaque system of advance voting. The Carter Center, the Asian Network for Free Elections, and ...
ASEAN nations adopt new technology plan
ASEAN ministers of science and technology met recently in Vientiane to adopt the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) for 2016-2025. The 16th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology was organised in Vientiane by the Ministry of Science and Technology and presided over by ...
Cambodian think tank proposals focus on foreign policy
Cambodia’s Future Forum think tank on 9 November marked Independence Day by releasing its first set of proposals, calling on the ruling and opposition parties to form a unified foreign policy ahead of the 2018 election. In an open letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen and Cambodia ...
Vietnam, Philippines to sign strategic-alliance pact
An official says the Philippines and Vietnam plan to sign an accord next week to elevate their relationship to a strategic level, allowing them to deepen economic ties and maritime cooperation. Keep reading ...
