Strong Asia-Europe relations essential

The ninth summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 9) will take place in Vientiane, Laos, from November 5-6, with the heads of State and leaders of 48 member countries expected to attend.
The ninth summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 9) will take place in Vientiane, Laos, from November 5-6, with the heads of State and leaders of 48 member countries expected to attend.

According to Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, the summit, themed ‘Friends for Peace, Partners for Prosperity’, will consolidate the role and the contributions that ASEM makes to peace, cooperation and connectivity between both continents.

The admission of three new members, Bangladesh , Norway and Switzerland , will also increase the potential for cooperation within the forum, he said.

Son further said that realising ASEM’s important role in the country’s external relations policy, to serve the national renewal, Vietnam joined the forum at a very early date as one of the founding members.

All the partners that Vietnam has a strategic and comprehensive relationship with are ASEM members, he said. Therefore the country’s active participation in ASEM has made it possible for it to foster and deepen its bilateral ties with partners in both continents.

Over the past 16 years, Vietnam has proposed 15 initiatives and been involved in 19 others, in many sectors including culture, climate change, labour, energy security, tourism and economics.

Since ASEM 8 in Brussels in October 2010, Vietnam has successfully implemented two initiatives to strengthen cooperation to cope with post-crisis challenges and on green growth.

At ASEM 9, Vietnam will continue to propose initiatives, furthering ASEAN’s position and contributing to making the Asia-Europe partnership more practical and effective, said the Deputy Foreign Minister.-VNA

See more

Philippines considers nickel export ban

Philippines considers nickel export ban

The Philippine Government is considering a ban on raw nickel ore exports to boost its domestic processing industry, which could lead to higher international nickel prices.

Illustrative photo (Photo: omy.sg)

Singapore’s gold export to US increases sharply

According to data from state agency Enterprise Singapore, volumes of gold shipped from Singapore to the US rose to about 11 tonnes in January, up 27% from December, and the largest amount since March 2022.

The DITP predicts the Chinese market for dried and preserved fruits will reach 335.3 billion CNY (46 billion USD) by 2028. (Photo: The Nation)

Thailand leads dried fruit exports to China

The DITP predicts the Chinese market for dried and preserved fruits will reach 335.3 billion CNY (46 billion USD) by 2028 and is urging Thai businesses to capitalise by developing innovative, high-quality products.

Singaporean Minister for National Development Desmond Lee (Photo: straitstimes.com)

Singapore makes efforts to upgrade social housing

Singaporean Minister of National Development Desmond Lee said on February 17 that 29,000 flats built in 1997 or earlier have been chosen for the Housing Board’s Home Improvement Programme (HIP) and will get structural improvements and upgrades to bathrooms and entrances, among other things.

Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is encouraging the utilization of marine biopharmaceuticals. (Photo: Antara)

Indonesia promotes Marine Biopharma in healthcare

The ministry's Director General of Marine and Ocean Space Management Victor Gustaaf Manoppo stated that this initiative aims to enhance national pharmaceutical resilience while empowering coastal communities involved in the supply chain of natural medicinal ingredients.

Myanmar cracks down on online scam centres

Myanmar cracks down on online scam centres

An estimated 220,000 people were estimated to have been tricked into working for romance-investment schemes, crypto fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling in Myanmar and Cambodia in 2023.

People get vaccinated against influenza in Thailand. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Thailand sees surge in influenza cases

Thai Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said there has been a big jump in infections in February, calling on people showing symptoms that could be flu to stay home, to prevent spreading the virus.

Thai PM Paetongtarn says AI technology needs to be adopted and regulated to help drive the Thai economy. (Photo: bangkokpost.com)

Thailand touts draft AI regulation

AI is expected to become a key tool in driving businesses and developing industries in Thailand, said Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.