Cambodian PM urges ASEAN to take advantages of COVID-19-related opportunities
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the COVID-19 pandemic has created good opportunities for ASEAN countries to boost regional trade at the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), which took place on June 26 within the framework of the 36th ASEAN Summit.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen saidthat the COVID-19 pandemic has created good opportunities for ASEAN countriesto boost regional trade at the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with Representatives ofASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), which took place on June 26 withinthe framework of the 36th ASEAN Summit.
The pandemic has once again reminded the bloc that ASEANstill has shortcomings and heavily relied on external factors, he said.
With the emerging trends brought by COVID-19, the shift ofglobal trade and supply chains, ASEAN must be well-prepared to earn maximumbenefits from this, he stated.
Hun Sen reiterated that the engagement of private sector isindispensable for the development of the ASEAN Community, particularly amid theCOVID-19.
He noted the private sector must not solely rely on thegovernment and must navigate and mitigate the impacts of the pandemicthemselves as well.
Chairing the meeting, PM Phuc affirmed that ASEANgovernments are committed to supporting the business community in overcomingchallenges brought about by COVID-19 so that they will soon recover, resumeservices and boost production.
He talked about obstacles facing the ASEAN businesscommunity due to the pandemic, including interrupted supply-demand chains,halted services, and weaker financial market.
Phuc stated that ASEAN governments considered the communitythe centre of growth and prosperity and the force that helps realisedevelopment goals in building the ASEAN Community.
He said their economic role has become clearer amid thepandemic when the group is affected, people’s lives and livelihoods also facedifficulties.
The 36th ASEAN Summit was hosted by Vietnam on June 26 inthe form of a video conference, with discussions focusing on the bloc’sCOVID-19 control and prevention and its future steps to build the ASEANCommunity and expand external relations./.
Vietnam has fulfilled its role as ASEAN Chair over the past six months and successfully organised the 36th ASEAN Summit, according to Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the ASEAN Senor Officials’ Meeting delegation of Laos Thongphane Savanphet.
The impressive settlement of the COVID-19 pandemic and the relatively early re-opening of its economy have given Vietnam the ability to assist other countries, including ASEAN members, said Assistant Director (ASEAN) at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs Jessica Wau.
Here is the full text of the ASEAN Declaration on Human Resources Development for the Changing World of Work, which was adopted at the teleconferenced 36th ASEAN Summit on June 26.
The following is the full text of the ASEAN Plan of Action on Strengthening ASEAN Economic Cooperation and Supply Chain Connectivity in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, which was adopted at the teleconferenced 36th ASEAN Summit on June 26.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
