ASEAN

Varying and longstanding traditions, cultures and religions hobble member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in looking at human rights as a major issue in governance, Philippine Ambassador Rosario Manalo said Friday.

JAKARTA – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations announced Wednesday it has revamped the structure of its secretariat as part of its bid to form an EU-style community by 2015.

BERLIN – The European Union is poised to alter its southeast Asia trade policy to deal with individual members of the ASEAN trade alliance rather than with the bloc as a whole, a senior official said Friday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will greatly benefit from the approval of the ASEAN-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) because there are a lot of products that the local producers can sell to the European market, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) said.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is reportedly pushing for the delay of the full implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) in light of the current global economic recession.

FORMER Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, now Philippines’ Permanent Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has presented his credentials to the regional block’s Secretary General, the Asean Secretariat reported Friday.

JAKARTA (Xinhua) – ASEAN countries on Thursday vowed more efforts to free the region from child sex tourism, Antara News Wire said here today.

HUA HIN, Thailand: Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) want to negotiate as a group with the European Union for a proposed free-trade agreement (FTA), Indonesia’s trade minister said Sunday.