Laos has called on ASEAN nations and regional stakeholders to further strengthen cooperation to alleviate poverty and ensure food security in the region, reported the Vientiane Times on May 10.
Vientiane (VNA) – Laos has called on ASEAN nations and regionalstakeholders to further strengthen cooperation to alleviate poverty and ensurefood security in the region, reported the Vientiane Times on May 10.
Thenewspaper quoted Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism SuanesavanhVignaket as saying at the 29th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)Council Meeting recently held in Bali, Indonesia, that addressing gaps andfinding solutions to eradicate poverty and hunger among the poor is not an easytask for a single organisation or sectoral body.
Sheurged national and regional organisations and stakeholders to enhance theircontinued efforts and raise investments in both capital capacity and humanresources capability, which will facilitate eradication of poverty and foodsecurity in the region.
Suanesavanhsaid Laos, as a Least Developed Country (LDC), has framed a plan to achievegraduation from the list of LDCs by 2026.
Laosstands ready to work closely with Indonesia and other member states to realiseASEAN priorities and to ensure the success of ASEAN in 2023, which will bringbenefits to the region and serve as a foundation for Laos’ ASEAN Chairmanshipin 2024, she said.
Theminister also reiterated the significance of regional and internationalcollaboration to overcome economic difficulties brought on by the impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic, emerging geopolitical challenges, climate change, and theincrease in prices of goods, food and energy.
Atthe meeting, ASEAN officials underlined the importance of continued empowermentof people in rural areas to support sustainable development and povertyeradication in the region./.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski have affirmed the need to step up economic and trade ties, especially amid complicated market uncertainties making it urgent to guarantee sustainable supply chains and food security.
ASEAN has sufficient resources to become a centre of world economic growth with a GDP reaching USD 3.36 trillion in 2021 and a population of 650 million people, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said on March 15.
The Indonesian government has initiated the drafting of a declaration by leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the threat of a food crisis to strengthen strategic cooperation for all stakeholders in building mechanisms to strengthen food security, regional supply chains and sustainable agriculture.
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.
Illustrative image (Photo: AFP) 
