Hanoi (VNA) – EU lawmakersapproved a free trade agreement (FTA) with Singapore on February 13.
About two-thirds of the EuropeanParliament's members voted in favour of the FTA, which could become effective inmonths, as well as a related agreement on how to settle disputes betweenforeign investors and states.
The pact has been nine years in the making.Negotiations ended in 2014, but as protests mounted against other trade accords,it ended up being sent to the European Court of Justice for review. The courtruling resulted in the accord being split in two: the free trade part and theseparate investment-protection deal, which will still need ratification fromnational parliaments.
The free trade pact will follow a deal theEU launched at the start of February with Japan and will be the EU's first witha member of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The EU, which also has a deal with theRepublic of Korea, remains interested in a trade deal with ASEAN as a whole,after talks were shelved in 2009. In the meantime, the bloc has concluded anagreement with Vietnam, is in negotiations with Indonesia and has held talkswith three other members.
The EU is Singapore's second biggest tradingpartner for goods and largest for services. For the EU, Singapore ranks 14thamong trading partners for goods and fourth for services. More than 10,000EU-based companies use Singapore as a hub for Southeast Asia.
The deal will lead to the removal of EUtariffs on Singaporean goods within five years and remove Singapore's fewcustoms duties for EU exports. It will see recognition in Singapore of EUstandards and safety tests in electronics, pharmaceuticals and car parts.
It will open up Singapore service sectorssuch as transport and telecoms to European businesses, who will also get betteraccess to contracts to supply the Singapore government.-VNA
The bilateral ties between Singapore and the European Union (EU) have taken an important step forward as both sides have initialled the text of the EU-Singapore Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (ESPCA).
EU Ambassador to Singapore Michael Pulch has stressed that a strong EU-ASEAN partnership is strategically significant for both sides and intensified partnership will bear fruit for future generations.
The forum, which involves global experts and creative leaders from across 14 cultural sectors, aims to expand Thailand’s presence on the world stage through innovation and cultural exchange.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
Marina Bay in Singapore (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
