Jakarta (VNA) – A charityfair of ASEAN women is taking place at the ASEAN Secretariat headquarters inJakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. The annual event on November 6-7 wasorganised by the ASEAN Women’s club, including wives of diplomats and femalestaff members of representative agencies and embassies of the ASEAN countriesin Indonesia. It aims to strengthen mutual trustbetween women in the organisation and honour various cultural traits andcultural identity of each member country, as well as raise fund for poorchildren and disabled people. This year, the fair drew theparticipation of 86 booths of the ASEAN members and other countries of India,Japan, China, New Zealand and Australia. Director of the Community Affairs Directorateof the ASEAN Secretariat Lee Yoong Yoong stressed that the event createsfavourable conditions for member countries to understand more about others’culture, cuisine and costumes. It is part of the activities to celebrate the50th founding anniversary of ASEAN, toward a close and prosperous ASEANCommunity. On the occasion, the ASEAN Women’sclub announced that the donations of last year’s event worth 20,000 USD will bepresented to children with disabilities in Indonesia.-VNA
Russian Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu on October 24 announced that Russia is ready to assist ASEAN in preventing the spread of international terrorism, especially impeding the infiltration of terrorism into the Asian-Pacific countries.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has affirmed that Indonesia attaches significance to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in its foreign policy.
Ambassadors to Japan of 11 ASEAN member states had a meeting at the Vietnamese Embassy in Tokyo on November 2, with discussions highlighting the APEC Vietnam 2017.
Vietnamese State Auditor General Ho Duc Phoc attended the fourth Congress of the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI) that opened in Vientiane, Laos on November 6.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his entourage will attend the 31st ASEAN Summit in Manila, the Philippines, from November 12-14 at the invitation of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
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.
A booth at the charity fair (Source: VNA) 
