38th ASEAN Free Trade Area Council Meeting opens in Laos
The 38th ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) Council Meeting opened in Vientiane on September 16 under the chair of Lao Minister of Commerce Malaythong Kommasith.
Vientiane (VNA)ꦡ – The 38th ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) Council Meeting opened in Vientiane on September 16 under the chair of Lao Minister of Commerce Malaythong Kommasith.
In his opening remarks, Malaythong said the meeting demonstrated the commitment of member countries to continue cooperation toward making the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) a competitive manufacturing hub in the region.
He stressed that since its establishment, the AFTA has consistently evolved, particularly through tariff reductions and eliminations, which facilitate trade and modernise tax reporting systems.
According to the official, ASEAN has virtually eliminated tariffs on nearly all goods, covering 98.6% of the total tariff items.
In recent years, ASEAN has tackled implementation challenges in the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and increased the use and exchange of electronic trade documents through the ASEAN Single Window customs notification system.
Malaythong applauded the ongoing negotiations to upgrade ATIGA, expressing his hope that the talks will conclude by the targeted 2025 deadline to further deepen trade integration within the bloc.
Throughout the meeting, delegates will contribute constructive ideas aimed at fostering an environment conducive to boosting regional trade.
ASEAN comprises 10 member states, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam./.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) to work together with the governments and people of ASEAN countries in key works for further economic development.
In response to the severe loss of life and property caused by Typhoon Yagi in several countries in the region, ASEAN foreign ministers on September 11 issued a joint statement on its impact.
Representatives of Vietnam attended the innaugural ASEAN Think Tanks Summit (ATTS), which was convened at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 10.
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.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
