Senior officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are gathering at meetings in Bangkok from May 28 to 31 to prepare for upcoming events of the bloc.
ASEAN senior officials pose for a photo at the meeting opened in Bangkok on May 28 (Photo: VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – Senior officials of the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are gathering at meetings in Bangkok fromMay 28 to 31 to prepare for upcoming events of the bloc.
Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry ofForeign Affairs Busaya Mathelin will chair the meetings, namely the ASEANSenior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), the Joint Consultative Meeting, the ASEAN SOMPlus Three, the East Asia Summit SOM, and the 7th meeting of the ASEANCoordinating Council’s Working Group on Timor Leste’s ASEAN membershipapplication.
The meetings aim to prepare for the ASEANSummit, the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN ForeignMinisters' Meeting Post-Ministerial Conferences, which are scheduled totake place in Bangkok in late June and late July.
Participants are set to discuss cooperation inthe building of the ASEAN Community, especially advancing partnership forsustainability – the priority issue of Thailand’s ASEAN chairmanship this year.
They will also look into measures to enhance thebloc’s relations with partners and exchange views on important internationaland regional matters.
This time’s ASEAN SOM and related meetings showThailand’s role in promoting peace and cooperation in the region to realisesecurity, sustainable development and economic growth targets, as well as toachieve sustainable social security, thus helping to build a future-orientedand people-centred ASEAN Community where no one is left behind.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.-VNA
A high-level dialogue on human rights in ASEAN to assess the decade-long operation of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) was held in Jakarta, Indonesia on May 9.
The tenth meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and the ambassadors of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 17.
Senior officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China held a consultation in Hangzhou city, China’s Zhejiang province, on May 19 to review cooperation, discuss measures to promote partnership, and prepare for the ASEAN-China post ministerial conference this August.
Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of Vietnam’s permanent mission to the United Nations, reiterated the commitments of ASEAN countries on the protection of civilians during armed conflicts in a speech on behalf of ASEAN countries at the open debate of the UN Security Council in New York on May 23.
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 senior officials pose for a photo at the meeting opened in Bangkok on May 28 (Photo: VNA) 
