ASEAN’s newest look for cash
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 expected to address this morning, Cambodia will also push for a higher degree of accessibility for businesspeople traveling within the 10-member economic bloc, according to officials. … Cham Prasidh, who will host the meeting, expressed confidence in finding new sources of development funding for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam – ASEAN’s newest members collectively known as CLMV countries – from the region’s economic and financial powerhouses such as Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. … Nam Viyaketh, Laos PDR’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, said poor economic conditions outside the region would hurt countries such as Laos and Cambodia without a stronger partnership between older and newer states. …
