18th ASEAN Ministers meeting held in Myanmar; Vietnam opens hotline with China; Vietnam- China joint border committee meeting held; Aung San Suu Kyi fell ill during election campaign; India, Indonesia to fast track FTA talks; Singapore ship suspected of I
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    • East Asia

    According to reports, the 18th ASEAN economic ministers’ informal meeting was held in Nay Pyi Taw on February 27, 2012. The meeting, headed by the Cambodian commerce minister Cham Prasidh, focused its deliberations on forming an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015. Matters related to cooperation between ASEAN nations, promotion of trade services and ASEAN framework implementation also figured in the meeting. 1

    In another development On March 2 2012, Vietnam and China opened a hotline between the foreign ministries of the two countries. Officials from the two sides pledged to coordinate closely to boost bilateral cooperation and take steps to strengthen Vietnam- China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. 2

    Meanwhile, reports noted that Vietnam- China Land Border Joint Committee meeting was held in Ha Noi from 24- 27 February 2012. This was the second of the joint meeting series, which hailed the close cooperation between relevant ministries in implementing the Protocol on Border Demarcation and Market Placement, the Agreement on Border Management Regulations, the Agreement on Border Gates and Border Gates Management. In the meeting, it was also decided to accelerate the establishment of a border gate communication mechanism between the two sides. 3

    According to reports, the pro-democracy leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi fell sick on 3 March 2012, while campaigning for the election. Reports of Suu Kyi’s frailing health have come out in public in the past few weeks, raising concerns about iconic leader and the democratic movement in Myanmar. 4

    In an important development, India and Indonesia have agreed to speed up the negations for early conclusion of the comprehensive market opening pact. This was decided on 3 March 2012 during the three day long visit of India’s commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma. According to the reports, ‘the two sides also deliberated on the widening the scope of free trade agreement between India- ASEAN, which would include services and investments. Indonesia is a member of ASEAN’. 5

    In other developments, the Singaporean ship MV Prabhu Daya is suspected to be involved in the Kerala boat accident in which two Indian fishermen were killed. As per media report, the Indian authorities suspect that MV Prabhu Daya may have been involved in the collision which happened on 1 March 2012 in the Arabian Sea, twenty nautical miles off the Kochi Harbour entrance. 6

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