ASEAN 2020: Six reports from ASEAN Secretary General adopted
Six reports from the ASEAN Secretary General and community pillars submitted to the upcoming 36th ASEAN Summit were adopted at the 26th ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting, held online in Hanoi on June 24 under the chair of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh chairs the 26th ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA)- Six reports from the ASEAN Secretary General and community pillars submitted tothe upcoming 36th ASEAN Summit were adopted at the 26th ASEAN Coordinating CouncilMeeting, held online in Hanoi on June 24 under the chair of Deputy Prime Ministerand Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.
Ministers reviewedASEAN cooperation in the first half of the year. They recognised the positive resultsthe bloc has achieved in the fight against COVID-19 since the beginning of 2020and reasserted their determination to maintain collaboration and endeavour to achieveset goals in a “Cohesive and Responsive” spirit.
Countries spoke highly of Vietnam’s role as the ASEAN Chair 2020 and expressed their support for prioritiesand outcomes during the year.
Minh suggested membercountries strengthen their cooperation to complete the mid-term review of the implementationof the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ASEAN Charter, and measures to promote thebloc’s image and identity, and to build a post-2025 ASEAN Community Vision.
He affirmed Vietnam’sdetermination to organise a✨ successful summit, which would contribute to promotingthe image of a cohesiꦆve and responsive ASEAN.
The official recommended ASEAN countries approve the Terms of Reference (TOR) on the establishment of the ASEAN's COVID-19 response fund, and agree on the policy of building ASEAN's recovery plan.
The official asserted that Vietnam will continue to complete the building of the ASEAN's standard operating procedure for emergency public health situations and ASEAN medical storage to soon submit to ASEAN leaders for approval.
He also called forASEAN solidarity and cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 to minimise the negativeimpact of the pandemic whileಞ maintaining regional comprehensive regional growth.
Countries highly valued Vietnam's right approach and guidance in the battle against COVID-19, and pledged to continue encouraging the participation of the whole community in the fight and promoting the outcomes achieved at the ASEAN and ASEAN 3 special summits on COVID-19 response. Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups 10 member countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam./.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and General Secretary of the National ASEAN 2020 Committee Nguyen Quoc Dung spoke of the organisation of the upcoming 36th ASEAN Summit as well as topics to be tabled for discussion at the meeting, during a press conference in Hanoi on June 23.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and General Secretary of the National ASEAN 2020 Committee Nguyen Quoc Dung has emphasized Vietnam’s leading role in the fight against the COVID-19 in Southeast Asia, and its efforts to enhance the bloc’s proactiveness in addressing regional challenges.
Leaders of ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) are set to convene a teleconferenced dialogue on June 26, during which they will show their commitment to further enhancing solidarity within the bloc and its relations with partners to cope with the challenges and build a sustainable community.
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.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh chairs the 26th ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting. (Photo: VNA) 
