AZEC promotes decarbonisation efforts in Southeast Asia

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on October 7 that leaders of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) will agree on a 10-year action plan, aimed at promoting decarbonisation efforts in Southeast Asia, at their summit in Laos this week.

Tokyo (VNA) - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on October 7 that leaders of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) will agree on a 10-year action plan, aimed at promoting decarbonisation efforts in Southeast Asia, at their summit in Laos this week.

Japan is scheduled to chair the second summit of the AZEC, which also involves Australia and most of the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related summits in Laos.

"We will set rules that will promote efforts toward decarbonising Asia and lead to projects that will utilise Japanese technology, for which partner countries have high expectations," Ishiba told a meeting of relevant Cabinet ministers at his office.

The initiative was proposed by Japan when his predecessor Fumio Kishida was in office and is intended to ensure decarbonisation, economic growth and security. The first summit was held in 2023.

The AZEC involves Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam./.

VNA

See more

Firefighters strive to extinguish a forest fire in Kampar of Indonesia's Riau province on July 20, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Indonesia strengthens forest fire prevention mechanisms

Under the approach, competent agencies will review existing regulations, strengthen inspections of fire prevention and firefighting systems, and implement measures including weather modification through cloud seeding, monitoring water levels in peatland areas, and pre-positioning personnel and equipment in high-risk locations.

Malaysia moves to enact landmark climate change law

Malaysia moves to enact landmark climate change law

Once passed, the bill will make Malaysia the second ASEAN country, after the Philippines, to enact a dedicated climate change law, and the 60th country in the world to have a standalone legal framework in this area.

Indonesia shifts strategy to combat online gambling

Indonesia shifts strategy to combat online gambling

Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid announced on July 14 that the new strategy marks a shift from focusing primarily on blocking gambling websites to a more comprehensive approach targeting the entire criminal ecosystem.

Passengers at the international airport in Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Thailand adjusts visa policy to balance tourism and security

The adjustments aim to ensure that entry facilitation measures for foreign visitors reflect current circumstances while closing security loopholes, preventing misuse, and reducing overlapping entitlements under the principle of “one country, one entitlement”.

​Indonesia's Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadew (Photo: VNA)

S&P retains Indonesia's BBB credit rating with stable outlook

According to S&P, Indonesia's economic fundamentals remain solid thanks to prudent fiscal and monetary policies, political stability, relatively low public debt compared with other countries in the same rating category, and positive medium-term growth prospects.

A port in Singapore. The country's GDP expanded by 5.7% year-on-year in the April–June period, easing from the 6.3% growth recorded in the first quarter (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Singapore's economic growth slows amid Middle East conflict

Singapore's core inflation remained unchanged at 1.4% in May from the previous month. However, economists warned that persistently high energy prices could continue to push up production and transportation costs, as well as the prices of imported goods, posing risks to the country's economic growth outlook.

 Thailand dismantles online gambling ring linked to World Cup 2026

Thailand dismantles online gambling ring linked to World Cup 2026

The bureau’s investigation targeted the "All Game 248" gambling website, which allegedly accepted bets on the FIFA World Cup 2026 and had been operating for about 18 months. During the operation, codenamed "All Game End Game," authorities arrested 12 suspects, including a former local politician, and the seizure of assets worth more than 13 million THB (418,000 USD).