Trade policy and regulation

Less than a month before Asean heads of state are expected to approve the first-ever human rights declaration for the regional group, Cambodian and Indonesian NGOs yesterday urged member states to give their organizations a larger role in the process. In the works for more than ...

U.S. President Barack Obama, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda have already confirmed their participation in the 21st ASEAN Summit and related Summits here on Nov. 15-20, said Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Monday. ...

The Royal Government of Cambodia has deposited their instrument of ratification to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Framework Agreement on visa exemption for Asean nationals last week with Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of Asean, in accordance with the Article 8 of the agreement The agreement ...

Thai Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha has called on neighbouring Cambodia to consult with member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on its reported plan to develop a nuclear power project. General Prayuth said the Cambodian nuclear power project has “pros and cons” ...

The IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) forecasts that uncertainty surrounding growth in advanced economies will slightly affect the growth of some ASEAN nations, particularly low-income countries such as Cambodia. A senior IMF official told reporters on the sidelines of the fund’s annual meeting yesterday that some ASEAN economies relying heavily ...

ASEAN leaders have proposed putting off the planned launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) until the end of 2015, instead of the beginning of that year, so each member state will have more time to prepare for the single market, according to Cambodian Commerce ...

While the planned launch of the ASEAN Economic Community is fast approaching, establishing good connectivity between member states to ensure a free flow of goods and services is a real challenge and needs more involvement from the private sector. That was the message delivered by Cambodian Foreign ...

In his talk at the ASEAN energy ministers meeting held in Phnom Penh last week, Prime Minister Hun Sen emphasized the need for the ten-member bloc to work together to bolster its regional energy connectivity to meet a rapidly growing demand for energy. He also ...

CIMB Bank Thai (CIMBT) clients will one day able to use ATMs for financial transactions anywhere in Asean. The regional linkage of ATMs is aimed at improving service and cost efficiency as a part of the CIMB Group’s regional strategy. Executive vice-president Dusanee Klewpatinontha said Cambodia has ...

The plan to create an economic union in the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will likely see a delay of a year, Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said at the meeting of the bloc’s energy ministers in Phnom Penh. During the meeting, Mr. Surin said ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen opened the 30th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting yesterday in Phnom Penh, where ASEAN officials will focus on ASEAN green energy and develop a plan for ASEAN’s power grid, officials said. Victor Jona, deputy director general of energy of the General Department ...

ASEAN senior officials on energy gathered here on Monday to discuss and prepare documents for the 30th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting and related meetings to be held on Sept. 12. The two-day preparatory meeting, under the theme “ASEAN Green Connectivity”, was chaired by Tun ...

Siam Cement Group (SCG), the country’s top industrial conglomerate, says its logistics unit will cover Asean and southern China within five years, partly through mergers and acquisitions. Kan Trakulhoon, the president and chief executive, said the expansion will accommodate growing regional trade under the Asean Economic ...

One of the biggest challenges to protecting Cambodian migrant workers is the sheer distance between their homeland and the countries they are working in, Ministry of Labour officials said yesterday. A pattern has emerged in which brokers lure more and more Cambodians away from traditional border-country ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen returned home yesterday from a quick trip to Beijing with the promise of some $523 million in new loans and grants, one day after Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jabao praised Cambodia for helping China maintain “friendly relations” with Asean. Speaking with ...

China has pledged more than $500 million in soft loans and grants to Cambodia and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao thanked it for helping Beijing maintain good relations with the regional grouping ASEAN, a Cambodian junior minister said. A summit of the 10 members of the Association ...

ASEAN economic ministers on Friday agreed to spur stronger cooperation and make more of an effort to enhance the region’s integration in preparation for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. Speaking during the press conference on the closing of the 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting ...

The countries of ASEAN are now implementing a clear road map to achieve the tourism objectives of the ASEAN Economic Community, due 2015. There will be a new ‘ASEAN for ASEAN’ campaign and special promotions, along with enhanced strategic cooperation with the growth markets of ...

Although US businesses across ASEAN have expressed a positive investment outlook towards Cambodia and the other members of the regional group, they are unsure of how to take advantage of the free-trade agreement with China, insiders said at the first-ever ASEAN-US Business Summit, which kicked ...

Nearly two months after the 45th Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting concluded with ministers failing to issue a joint communique for the first time in the block’s history, Cambodia remains on the defensive, this week disseminating yet another agressive letter to the editor of a regional newspaper. In a ...

ASEAN needs to seek more funds from development partners to develop infrastructure and connectivity in order to narrow the gap among member states, said Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday at the opening ceremony of the 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers meeting. The Premier said strengthening the connectivity ...

Countries in the region need to move faster to reduce the economic gaps between Asean nations if they are to successfully integrate and establish the Asean Economic Community by 2015, Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday. Speaking at the 44th Asean Economic Ministers’ Meeting in Siem ...

Younger Southeast Asian countries will look for a means of filling the financial gap between poorer mainland ASEAN members and more developed states this week during the 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting, which kicked off today. At the five-day meeting which Prime Minister Hun Sen was ...

The vision regional leaders have for an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 may become clearer after this week’s Economic Ministers meeting in Siem Reap, but not everyone has a rose-coloured view of what such integration might mean for Cambodia. Students who have not mastered the ...