Tag: ASEAN IN FOCUS

US to urge pressure against North Korea at ASEAN talks

by Martin Abbugao / Ayee Macaraig Agence France-Presse SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) – The US will urge the international community to keep up sanctions pressure against North Korea at a security forum in Singapore this week, as concerns mount that Pyongyang has made little progress towards denuclearisation. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart will attend the gathering in the city-state where US President Donald Trump and the North’s leader Kim Jong Un […]

Pompeo to travel to SE Asia, calls for ‘free and open’ region

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region Monday, taking aim at China ahead of a trip to Southeast Asia to promote America’s strategic vision for Asia. Pompeo will depart later this week on a trip to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia to hammer home the Trump administration’s commitment to the region, and also press for denuclearization in North Korea. The trip comes at […]

President Duterte, PM Mahathir discuss need for closer defense, security cooperation in ASEAN region

  (Eagle News) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad discussed “matters of mutual interest” during their meeting on Monday afternoon, July 16, in Malaysia, a day after watching the fight and phenomenal win of Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. The two leaders met at 3 p.m.. Monday at the Malaysian Prime Minister’s office in Putrajaya where they “renewed and reaffirmed the long-standing brotherhood and friendship between the Philippines and Malaysia.” […]

PH hailed as first ASEAN SME Academy administrator

By Phoebe Salvador Eagle News Service The Philippines has been chosen as the first country to become the administrator of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Academy through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). In a statement, the DTI said that in particular, the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) was named as the administrator of the academy, a one-stop multi-platform online learning and information resource for Southeast Asian SMEs. […]

PH intensifies anti-dengue activities as it observes ASEAN Dengue Day

By Phoebe Salvador Eagle News Service (Eagle News) — As a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippines conducted awareness campaigns for targeted individuals in observance of the 8th ASEAN Dengue Day (ADD) on Friday, June 15. The Department of Health (DOH) set “Kung Walang Lamok, Walang Dengue: Mag 4S Kontra Dengue” as the theme of the local observance of ADD this year. The DOH outlined the following 4S strategies: – search […]

Duterte: Southeast Asian leaders emphasized need to honor “sovereign equality, non-interference” in 32nd ASEAN Summit

(Eagle News)–The leaders of Southeast Asian nations reiterated the need to honor “time-honored principles” of  “sovereign equality” and “non-interference” in internal affairs in the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Singapore. This is according to President Rodrigo Duterte, who spoke upon his arrival in Davao from the summit on Sunday, April 29. He said during the summit, three “key” documents were also adopted to address terrorism and extremist violence, illegal drug trade, and […]

SE Asia faces threats from IS, cyber-attacks, summit hears

SINGAPORE (AFP) — Southeast Asia faces “very real” threats from the Islamic State (IS) group despite their defeat in the Middle East, as well as cyber-attacks, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned Saturday as he opened a regional summit. Parts of the 10-country region, encompassing about 650 million people, have long struggled with Islamic militancy and the emergence of IS has served as a new rallying point for radicals and re-energized extremist groups. A […]

President Duterte holds bilateral meetings with Vietnam PM, Indonesian President

  President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, April 27, met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Summit in Singapore. The President together with some of his Cabinet officials first met with Prime Minister Phuc at Ritz-Carlton Millenia Hotel. The Prime Minister congratulated Duterte for the successful Philippine ASEAN chairmanship, stating that its outputs were good foundations for more […]

Roque: Duterte reiterated he was not “abandoning” arbitral tribunal decision on S. China Sea in meeting with Vietnamese PM

  (Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated the Philippines was “not abandoning, not ignoring, not setting aside” the arbitral tribunal decision that favored it over China  in the South China Sea dispute. According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the move was done by the President in a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the sidelines of the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Summit in Singapore. “He will deal with the arbitral […]

SE Asian leaders to vow to fight protectionism

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Southeast Asian leaders are expected to rally against protectionism at a summit in Singapore this weekend amid fears that tit-for-tat tariffs between the US and China could escalate into a global trade war. A region of around 650 million people, Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies, thanks largely to the benefits of free and open trade. But officials and analysts have warned that an escalation of trade tensions between […]

President Duterte departs for Singapore to attend 32nd ASEAN meet

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte departed for Singapore on Thursday, April 26, to attend the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Duterte read from a prepared speech prior to his departure at the Davao International Airport, and cited the issues he would be discussing during the meeting. Earlier, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary  Helen Dela Vega said in a press briefing that ASEAN leaders such as Duterte would talk about ways to address trafficking in persons, illicit […]

President Duterte hits West anew for allegedly interfering in ASEAN affairs

(Eagle News)—President Rodrigo Duterte went on a verbal offensive against the West on Wednesday, April 25,  before he was slated to leave for Singapore to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit. In Maguindanao, the President railed at Western countries he said felt superior, and imposed their own values on ASEAN countries in particular. “Si President Widodo nagko-complain. Si Najib ganun rin. Ang Cambodia, iniipit nila. Prangkahan ko kayo. Sa ASEAN, except maybe Thailand, […]