Laos prepares for 31st meeting of ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council
Lao officials met in Vientiane on January 3 for discussion and exchange of opinions to prepare for the 31st meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council in 2024.
Vientiane (VNA) – Lao officials met in Vientiane on Janua﷽ry 3 for discussion and exchange of opinions to prepare for the 31st meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council in2024.
Laos will introduce its tourism developmentvision, products and services to tourism professionals at the upcoming ASEAN meeting which is scheduled to take place from March 25-30 in northern LuangPrabang province as the country is holding the ASEAN chairmanship this year. According to the Lao News Agency (KPL), the meeting will focus onthree priority topics. The first topic is to promote the role of culture andart in ASEAN to make these aspects both comprehensive and sustainable. Thesecond topic will involve discussions on environmental cooperation andresilience to climate change. The last one will focus on theadvancement of the wellbeing of women and children in ASEAN nations./.
Despite the Lao Government's efforts to lower prices of goods and services, the inflation rate in the country remained high in 2023, averaging 31.2%, according to the Lao Statistics Bureau.
Laos' ASEAN chairmanship, starting January 1, will bring both opportunities and challenges to the country, said Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith.
General Secretary of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) and Chairman of the NA Office Bui Van Cuong had a working session in Hanoi on January 4 with Vice President of the Lao legislature Chaleun Yiapaoher on documents on the NA history as well as the relationship between the two legislative bodies.
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.
Participants at the meeting (Photo: kpl.gov.la) 
