International relations

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has highlighted that co-operation among upper and lower Mekong countries for the sustainable management and use of the Mekong River should be the top priority for the Mekong-Lancang partnership. Speaking at the first Mekong-Lancang Foreign Ministers’ ...

Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has started a feasibility study on a 760-kilometer highway to connect Hanoi and Vientiane, local media reported on 11 November.   The study conducted by Transport Engineering Design Inc. will help decide whether the route should pass through Nghe An or Ha Tinh, two central ...

The November 8 election in Myanmar marked a good start for the country as well as Asean, said Surin Pitsuwan, former secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Keep reading ...

Three of China’s neighbors in Southeast Asia are further easing their visa regimes to attract more Chinese tourists. Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance announced move to lower Chinese visitors’ visa-application fees in a new step to boost its tourism. Starting from 23 November, Chinese tourists’ visa fees ...

Despite criticism of Myanmar’s “flawed” constitutional framework, international observers on 10 November gave a largely positive appraisal of the elections, commending a well-run election day while highlighting major issues such as an opaque system of advance voting. The Carter Center, the Asian Network for Free Elections, and ...

ASEAN ministers of science and technology met recently in Vientiane to adopt the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) for 2016-2025. The 16th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology was organised in Vientiane by the Ministry of Science and Technology and presided over by ...

Cambodia’s Future Forum think tank on 9 November marked Independence Day by releasing its first set of proposals, calling on the ruling and opposition parties to form a unified foreign policy ahead of the 2018 election. In an open letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen and Cambodia ...

An official says the Philippines and Vietnam plan to sign an accord next week to elevate their relationship to a strategic level, allowing them to deepen economic ties and maritime cooperation. Keep reading ...

Thai security authorities along the Myanmar border have been put on alert in preparation for any unexpected incidents or violence following the neighbouring country’s election. The Surasee Task Force of the 9th Infantry Division, responsible for the Thai-Myanmar border area in Kanchanaburi held a meeting with police, ...

Trade and security links will be high on the agenda when New Zealand Prime Minister John Key undertakes a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia next week. Key said Monday he would lead a trade delegation to Vietnam from 14 to 17 November and meet with Prime ...