ASEAN Ambassadors to South Africa hail Vietnam’s preparation for 37th ASEAN Summit
Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Hoang Van Loi informed his ASEAN counterparts on Vietnam’s preparations for the 37th ASEAN Summit and related meetings at a conference on October 27.
ASEAN Ambassadors to South Africa pose for a photo at the conference on October 27 (Photo: VNA)
Pretoria (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa HoangVan Loi informed his ASEAN counterparts on Vietnam’s preparations for the 37th ASEAN Summit and related meetings at a conference on October 27.
He informed the Ambassadors of seven ASEAN countries in South Africaabout the planned working programme, working agenda and a list of documents tobe submitted to ASEAN leaders on the occasion.
Loi, who is also Chair of the ASEAN Pretoria Committee (APC), stressed thatVietnam, as Chair of ASEAN in 2020, is doing its best to ensure the success ofthe 37th ASEAN Summit.
He announced that South Africa will sign the Treaty on Amity andCooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) on the occasion of the 37th ASEAN Summit, with the signing to be held online in Cape Town on November 10.The same day, Cuba will also sign the TAC with the ASEAN.
All ASEAN Ambassadors in Pretoria shared the view that Vietnam has donewell not only in logistical preparation for the summit, but also in actively proposingand promoting priorities and initiatives during the year it is Chair of thebloc. They said substantial results achieved during the year had contributed positivelyto the building of the ASEAN Community.
Singaporean Ambassador Chua Thai – Keong said Vietnam, as Chair of ASEAN in 2020, has alsoeffectively promoted the ties between ASEAN and other regions in the world, asseen in the upcoming signing of the TAC between ASEAN and South Africa.
The ASEAN Ambassador in South Africa also discussed the working programmeof the APC in the time ahead, including the organization of activities towelcome the 37th ASEAN Summit.
They examined the pandemic situation in the host country and sharedpandemic prevention measures undertaken by their respective diplomaticmissions./.
The ASEAN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Indicators Baseline Report and an online database portal for ASEAN SDG indicators were released at an online event on October 23.
Culture ministers of the ASEAN Plus Three countries, including 10 ASEAN member states and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, have agreed to strengthen multilateral cultural and arts exchanges despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 16th ASEAN Senior Labour Officials’ Meeting (SLOM) took place via video conference on October 26, with the participation of representatives from the 10 member states and the ASEAN Secretariat.
ASEAN Foreign Ministers on October 27 issued a statement on recent floods and landslides that caused huge losses of life and property in Southeast Asian nations.
The National ASEAN 2020 Committee convened its sixth session in Hanoi on October 27 under the chair of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.
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.
ASEAN Ambassadors to South Africa pose for a photo at the conference on October 27 (Photo: VNA) 
