Mekong sub-region countries, RoK enhance ties amid COVID-19
Five Mekong sub-region nations and the Republic of Korea (RoK), on September 29, called for joint efforts to restore and promote global trade plagued by the coronavirus pandemic and to secure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
RoK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha at the 10th Mekong-RoK Foreign Ministers' Meeting (Source: VNA)
Seoul (VNA) – Five Mekong sub-region nationsand the Republic of Korea (RoK), on September 29, called for joint efforts torestore and promote global trade plagued by the coronavirus pandemic and to securefair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
The pledge was made in a co-chairs statement adopted afterthe 10th RoK-Mekong foreign ministers' meeting held via a video link. TheMekong River nations consist of Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.
"The Ministers ... reaffirmed their commitment toworking together to restore and maintain interconnectedness by facilitatinginternational trade and essential movement of people, goods and services acrossborders," the statement released by the RoK foreign ministry read asquoted by the RoK’s Yonhap News Agency.
They also reiterated their support for "vaccinemultilateralism and the goal of ensuring affordable, fair and equitable accessto safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for all," according to thestatement.
The ministers also expressed concern about tradeprotectionism and tensions and called for "a transparent, free, open andrules-based multilateral trading system led by the WTO (World Trade Organization)."
Regarding Korean peninsula's peace process, they reiteratedtheir support for efforts toward denuclearisation and building permanent peaceand agreed that peace and prosperity on the peninsula can only be achievedthrough continued dialogue.
The 10th RoK-Mekong foreign ministers' meeting took place onSeptember 28 and was co-hosted by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and ForeignMinister Pham Binh Minh and RoK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha.
The RoK and the five Southeast Asian nations held their firstForeign Ministers’ meeting in 2011./.
The 6th Mekong-Republic of Korea (RoK) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting took place in Vientiane, Laos on July 24 in the framework of the ongoing 49 th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM 49).
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc has affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to cooperation between Mekong countries and the Republic of Korea (RoK).
Foreign ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam highly valued the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s contributions to the Mekong region in the recent past while attending a meeting in Bangkok on August 3.
Agencies under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (RoK) have been focusing on preparing for the ASEAN-RoK Commemorative Summit, said Chairman of the Korean Presidential Committee on New Southern Policy Joo Hyung-chul.
The ASEAN – RoK Exhibition on Public Service Innovation is underway in the RoK city of Busan from November 25 to 27, on the sidelines of the 30th ASEAN – RoK Commemorative Summit and the first Mekong – RoK Summit.
Themed “emerging trends in terrorism and violent extremism”, the event drew over 200 participants from domestic and international agencies, discussing the rapid evolution of terrorism and the need for stronger regional and global cooperation.
Indonesia aims to start nuclear power generation by 2034, with a government roadmap already in place to develop small modular reactors (SMRs) with capacities ranging from 300 to 500 megawatts.
The package, endorsed on June 24, comprises 481 projects designed to boost GDP by an additional 0.4% and generate temporary employment for about 7.4 million people nationwide.
An Indonesian official emphasised that energy security is extremely essential amid global geopolitical and economic fragmentation, highlighting the need for the energy industry to strengthen resilience and responsiveness in the face of fluctuating oil prices and the shift to clean energy.
ASEAN must deepen collaboration through platforms such as the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) to ensure regional responses keep pace with the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.
Speaking at the launch of the Indonesia Economic Prospects June 2025 edition on June 23 in Jakarta, Turk noted that Indonesia’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 4.9% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Anti-dumping duties will continue to be imposed on producers from China and Japan while those on relevant exporters from the RoK and Vietnam will be terminated, starting from June 23.
A specialist police unit has acquired a fleet of off-road vehicles to help officers navigate rough, unpaved terrain – and flood waters – to respond more quickly to public security incidents.
The pact covers goods, services, investments, intellectual property rights, customs facilitation, competition policy, sanitary and phytosanitary, trade and sustainable development, government procurement and economic cooperation.
The talent programmes mark another milestone in the technical partnership between PETRONAS and the Energy Institute, which focuses on three pillars: promoting decarbonisation and operational excellence through innovative solutions, enabling informed decision-making with expert advice, and nurturing the next generation of energy professionals.
The firefighters found an active blaze at the lorry depot located in the city of Pasir Gudang near the state capital of Johor Bahru, with flames spreading quickly due to strong winds and igniting a neighboring disused oil storage area.
Investigators believe the operation is part of a broader scam network involving romance scams, where victims are lured into fake relationships and persuaded to transfer money.
Ambassadors, Consuls General, along with staff and their families, joined traditional sports and cultural activities of Southeast Asia and performances bearing regional identity, thus contributing to strengthening unity and the ASEAN community spirit in New York.
In his post on social media the same day, Hun Manet said energy companies would be able to import sufficiently from other sources to meet domestic fuel and gas demands in the country.
RoK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha at the 10th Mekong-RoK Foreign Ministers' Meeting (Source: VNA) 
