UK steps up cooperation with Southeast Asian nations
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom Dominic Raab is on a visit to Indonesia and Brunei on April 7-9 to consolidate trade and security ties as well as promote cooperation in addressing global challenges with the two nations.
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the UK Dominic Raab (L) and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (Photo: EPA)
Jakarta (VNA) – Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth andDevelopment Affairs of the United Kingdom Dominic Raab is on a visit to Indonesiaand Brunei on April 7-9 to consolidate trade and security ties as well as promotecooperation in addressing global challenges with the two nations.
He met Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi todiscuss the UK – Indonesia trade partnership, valued 3.75 billion USD eachyear.
The two foreign ministers clinched a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) onanti-terrorism cooperation.
According to Marsudi, both sides agreed to boost collaboration acrosshealthcare, enhance defence cooperation, and speed up economic recovery byadding ten cooperative priorities, including wood and agricultural products.
A MoU on the UK – Indonesia inter-committee on economy and trade will be signedon April 7 to intensify the implementation of those cooperative priorities.
In an official announcement on April 7, Marsudi said she voiced Indonesia’sconcern over the UK’s new bill, which requires accountability of severalagricultural products such as palm oil, cocoa and rubber, expressing her hopethat both nation can work together to surmount the issue.
They also discussed international issues.
Raab also met with ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi as the UK wants toenhance relations with this regional bloc.
Following the Indonesia visit, Raab is scheduled to visit Brunei to attendseveral high-level meetings on April 8, discussing trade, climate change andsecurity issues.
He will pay a courtesy visit to the Sultan of Brunei before meeting withForeign Minister Dato Erywan.
The UK wants to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement forTrans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), in which Brunei and many other ASEAN statesare members.
He will also attend the second UK – ASEAN ministerial dialogue before returningLondon.
The UK sees the Indo-Pacific significant in its foreign strategy./.
Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Tran Ngoc An has affirmed that Vietnam, as Chair of ASEAN in 2020, supports stronger collaboration between ASEAN And the UK across trade and investment, as well as cooperation for peace, security and development.
Vietnam and the UK issued a “Joint Declaration on the Vietnam - UK Strategic Partnership: Forging Ahead for Another 10 Years” after the talks in Hanoi on September 30 between Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and UK First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Dominic Rabb. Following is the full text of the joint declaration.
Vietnam and the United Kingdoms are speeding up negotiations on a new-generation free trade agreement (FTA) between the two sides, which is expected to be completed at the year’s end.
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.
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the UK Dominic Raab (L) and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (Photo: EPA) 
