News
More IPOs in oil and gas industry planned this year

There would be more auctions of shares from oil and gas companies in the second half of 2016 under the directives of the government on equitisation of state-owned firms. On July 15, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung told the first half meeting of the PetroVietnam ...
NEDA and JICA sign MOU on Mekong sub-region development cooperation

The Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency and the Japan International Cooperation Agency have recently signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the development of the Mekong sub-region and promote social and economic advancement in the region and foster connectivity along the Mekong economic corridor. ...
Authorities make fresh call for aquatic life protection

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Livestock and Fisheries Department has once again asked fishermen to help preserve protected wildlife and aquatic species in Laos. The warning comes in the wake of an image of a fisherman with a giant Mekong Stingray being posted on Facebook ...
Draft law on work permits for foreigners heads to attorney general
Foreigners working in Myanmar will soon need work permits, the labour ministry has announced, in a move that has been welcomed by businesses. The Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population will submit a draft law to the attorney general later this month, deputy director general ...
ASEAN and the logic of collective action

The ten member states of ASEAN aspire to “One Vision, One Identity, One Community.” Their foreign ministers meeting in Laos this July demonstrated again how far the distance is between goal and reality. Like the European Union, the regional organization of Southeast Asia is pulled ...
Malaysia, Singapore team up on bullet-train project

Malaysia and Singapore signed an agreement on 18 July to build an ambitious high-speed rail link touted as a first for Southeast Asia that will knit the historically fractious neighbours more closely together. Authorities have yet to provide cost projections, but analyst estimates have been as high ...
Thailand considers buying more power from Laos
Thailand may buy 9,000 megawatts of electricity from Laos this year to ensure sufficient supply to meet rising demand, says a senior official at the Energy Ministry. That is nearly 30% higher than thethe 7,000MW Thailand currently buys annually from Laos, according to the most ...
China woos Myanmar, tries to massage its public image
According to the State Council Information Office of the Chinese foreign ministry, Beijing has invited more than 100 journalists, government officials and members of parliament to visit the country, as well as 100 students to study in China. In what seems likely to be a concerted and ...
IOM, Italy join hands to fight human trafficking
The International Organisation for Migration and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare will cooperate in the war on human trafficking in Laos after signing a project agreement in Vientiane on 18 July between the IOM Head of Office Mr Damien Kilner and the ministry’s Director General ...
ASEAN sugar producers form alliance
Myanmar has formed an alliance with six other sugar-producing countries in the region, with a view to improving cooperation and boosting trade, in preparation for the ASEAN Economic Community, which aims to create a single market for capital, goods, labour and services. Seven countries – ...